Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Sheridan.
Michelle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I graduated from University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA in 1989 with a B.S. in Communications. I was drawn more to the Women’s Studies, Sociology, and Interpersonal Communications versus Broadcasting or Media. I had worked in legal offices and other corporations as a “secretary”, now referred to as an “administrative assistant”, but I knew there wasn’t anyplace to really grow, i.e. not being able to move into other positions even with a degree. I told myself that time was going to pass and if I didn’t want to be stuck in the same place in two years, I had to achieve a Master’s Degree in a field where I could feel more accomplished. I wanted to be a professional and be proud of the work I was doing, and be my own boss.
I entered a program about an hour from where I lived and began commuting with a woman who was also from my area, which developed into a life long friendship.
I would be at school very early, until very late on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I worked a couple of jobs , as well as an internship, 7 days a week for 2 years non-stop. It was incredible exhausting. I even tried to quit once but my advisory just let me cry and complain and then basically said, “Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow”. Then there was acquiring client hours, reviewing videos and tapes of these sessions with supervisors, hours in groups for supervision and once this was complete there needed to be more time and money paid to be supervised to become a Clinical Member of AAMFT – none of this was paid, so I also had to hold a couple of jobs.
I worked in a brand new pilot program in Southwestern Vermont called Family Emergency Services. Since the pay was very low and my degree was not recognized in Vermont or Massachusetts, I had to continue to be supervised for many years. This was back at a time that Marriage & Family Therapists did not have the status of Social Workers. The program in Vermont was an amazing program, providing support to families to help prevent children and teens from entering into the custody of the State of Vermont. I was able to speak with Judges, Lawyers, Police and teach them how therapy was such an important part of caring for the entire family for greater mental health and success. I learned so much about myself and how to reach people who just needed support and to learn a new way of responding to very challenging times in their lives.
Due to my massive student loan debt and debt from struggling to really make a decent living, I left Vermont after being offered a high paying administrative assistant job in a mid-sized Law Firm in New York City.
Once I began to make a decent salary with excellent benefits, I joined other therapists who worked under a woman who provided referrals and office space on Madison Avenue in New York City.
I also became involved with the New York Chapter of AAMFT (American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy). I was the secretary and then President-Elect, but I did not take the job of President because I had recently married and was pregnant with my son.
I continued to work at the law firm for almost 10 years, while having a part-time practice in New York.
During the Crash of 2008, the law firm went bankrupt, my marriage was failing, I was losing my coop in Brooklyn, and I was working with a friend in Brooklyn who is a lawyer and Tax Attorney/Accountant. I continued to raise my son alone. A few years prior I had met a man who also worked at the law firm, but he lost his job and moved away. We reunited and my son and I moved to Holland, MI. I worked for a few years with a couple who had a therapy practice in Jenison, MI and then in 2016 I started my own practice in Holland, MI to be closer to home, where I continue to work today.
I think the message is: There is never one path or even a straight path to getting what you want or where you want to be.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think, “smooth road” is an understatement of the year…and I am laughing. When I graduated college I was dating a man who was working on his Doctorate. He was a very very intense academic, intellectual, scholarly person. He “challenged” me, not in the kindest or best way possible, to become more than I had known or thought about for myself. I drove cross country, with my sports car packed 4 feet high on the roof and every crevice stuffed, to move to California to begin a program called “Marriage, Child and Family Counseling”. My boyfriend’s classmate’s Uncle was a professor at the University of California and said he had a place for me to stay and would help me apply for the Family Therapy Program. So I drove cross-country by myself using a Trip-Tick Map from AAA! I arrived and the house was a filthy mess. I applied to the program, spent day and night for 1 month cleaning, painting and fixing up the house only to find out that he held student meetings there. The day before the program started I was to meet someone at the University and was told that it was not a 2 year program but for me a 3 year program because they wouldn’t accept some of my college credit classes. My boyfriend, whom I left back in Massachusetts broke up with me for leaving him and shamed me for going cross-country. I packed my bags, packed up the house and drove back to Massachusetts where I found out my boyfriend was seeing someone else.
It took me another year, before I re-applied to the program in Vermont and began my therapy career. Are there more stories of the rough road…absolutely…but this was just the first major road block; however I wouldn’t let it deter me.
As you know, we’re big fans of Time For A Change Therapy, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the Sole Proprietor of a Therapy Practice. For 28 years I have practiced, with a M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy. I was licensed in the State of New York and then became licensed in the State of Michigan. I specialize in helping couples with Communication, parenting, coming to terms with their past trauma and their individual journeys. I work with individuals with depression, anxiety, self esteem, self confidence, finding their voice and more affective communication through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy practices. I also use Psychodynamic Therapy to help people explore their childhood, teens years into adulthood and see where there are old wounds, trauma or experiences that are keeping them from finding inner peace. I think what sets me apart AND what I am known for is my straight forward style. I am a bit edgy, direct, funny, expressive, as well as teaching some very practical tools and tips to help clients do something different than they have before.
I have gone through extreme hardships in my life and many of my personal experiences help me to be both empathetic and confrontational, such as when people are in denial, create false narratives or blame others.
I am most proud of the number of people that have worked very hard and stayed in therapy with me, who have expressed that the work with me has truly changed their lives.
I want people to know that when choosing a therapist, it has to be a good fit for you. Also, that if being in therapy feels hard, especially in the beginning then you are giving it the attention that it needs.
I believe that being a therapist is really my calling and that I am really good at what I do.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I am hearing more and more about AI. The program that I pay for to write my notes uses AI so the notes are written in a format that is accept by insurance companies. I think that people will turn to AI to ask both practical and existential questions. I am concerned, since there really isn’t any substitute for personal contact. The world is so divided and there are so many more lonely and isolated people. There are less and less family groups, supportive family members who give of their time, and no “villages” where people are raised by many healthy, diverse adults. I feel we need more connection to get to know “the other” and even I have been thinking about how to bring more people together, by writing a book, providing groups who might become like family or supportive, who may be experiencing similar life situations. Unfortunately, I think embracing some of the platforms we have and are used on such a regular basis, such as social media, could trend towards greater isolation, comparing ourselves to snap-shots of people’s lives, and disregard the depth of one’s full life.
Pricing:
- $200-$250 for a first session
- $175-200 for sessions thereafter
Contact Info:
- Website: www.timeforachangetherapy.com
