Hi, I’m Michelle

Owner/Founder, Crossing Jordan Counseling

Welcome!   I am excited to know you have arrived at my page and want to allow you to know more about me.  My name is Michelle, and this is a brief synopsis of my life journey.   I became a Christian in my late 20’s following a very devastating breakup.  I am a Navy Veteran and worked for over 15 years at the VA Hospital as a Certified Nursing Assistant.  During those years, I raised two beautiful foster daughters, now grown with children of their own.  From that experience, I learned that I had many counseling skills within me.  I believe with all my heart that it is a gifting from God.  In the latter end of my years at the VA Hospital, I married an Army Veteran.  And with his encouragement, I went back to college and obtained my Masters Degree in Professional Counseling.

I lost my wonderful husband in 2009.  Widowed way too young.  The next decade brought a variety of counseling jobs my way.  I worked in a community facility where I gained an incredible range of experience.  Later I moved deeper into mental health. I was mainly working with individuals coming out of the state hospital, helping to ensure their stability in the community rather than returning to the hospital setting.  And also, I provided training to the facilities where they resided to help the staff understand and provide better care for their specialized needs.

I enjoy counseling and strive to help others overcome difficulties and regain peace in their lives.  I want to provide new skills, offer support and encouragement to those struggling with difficult issues.  I enjoy the opportunity to include faith in the counseling process but can also provide professional counseling when an individual does not want to work from a faith-based perspective.

My experience is extensive in working with End of Life Issues such as grieving, the dying process, chronic pain, and long term illness.  Also, working with disorders such as Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Borderline Personality, Bipolar Disorder, Suicidal Ideations, Cutting/Self Harm, Depression, and Anxiety has been the central part of my clientele for many years.

I prefer Cognitive Behavioral therapy as my therapeutic model.  However, I will often pull from Dialectic Behavioral, Reality, Client-Centered, Solution-Focused, and Motivational Interviewing at times for a more eclectic means of counseling.

I believe that caring is the best foundation to build on, and I counsel from that perspective.  And my philosophy that underlies my practice is that Jesus first loved us.  And most people are not interested in what someone knows until they know how much someone cares.  I strive to help individuals live the most fulfilling and peace-filled lives possible.

EDUCATION

Amridge University – Montgomery, AL

Liberty University – Lynchburg, VA

Virginia Western Community College – Roanoke, VA

Love in Christ, Michelle