About Michelle Emery-Xu
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#155452). As someone practicing psychotherapy as a second career, I am no stranger to having an identity crisis and the paralysis and distress of life transitions. Through my own struggle, I found the freedom and joy of life - and I believe you can find it too.
Change is challenging—whether accepting, coping with, initiating, or maintaining it. My goal is to provide a safe, supportive environment in which you feel seen and understood so that you can move through and move forward. Together, we’ll work towards gaining clarity, experiencing healing, and renewing hope.
Approach
Through my extensive training in community mental health, I have had the privilege of working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families from diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. I draw from a variety of evidenced-based counseling models to foster self-reflection, personal insight, and meaningful, lasting change.
I also currently offer a teen support group, a safe and encouraging space where adolescents can connect with peers, build resilience, and develop health coping strategies.
My therapeutic style is integrative and client-centered, blending elements of:
Restoration Therapy — with a focus on attachment, emotional regulation, and mindfulness
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — to address unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors
Play Therapy — to engaged children in developmentally appropriate ways
For clients seeking to process trauma or move through “stuck” places, I am fully trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, a highly effective, research-backed, brain-body based therapy.
I believe therapy works best when it is collaborative and tailored to each client’s age, needs, and goals. As a Marriage & Family Therapist, I aim to help you transform your relationships, cultivate understanding, connection, and emotional health both within yourself and in your interaction with others.
My style is warm, welcoming, and relational, while also being direct and willing to gently challenge you when needed. Humor, laughter, and play often find their way into the therapy room, creating a safe and authentic space to explore even the most difficult topics.
My clinical interests include anxiety and stress, depression, life transitions, perfectionism, teen and young adult challenges, spiritual and faith issues, Asian American identity, and supporting foster youth and foster families.
In our work together, my goal is to empower and support you as you navigate life’s complexities and help you uncover the potential for joy and growth within you.
Experience & Credentials
I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT #155452). I hold a B.S. in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles, a J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and a Masters in Science in Marriage & Family Therapy from Fuller School of Psychology.
In addition to working in private practice, I have provided mental health services to children, adolescents, and families with an array of diagnoses (anxiety, ADHD, depression, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and trauma) and issues (family separation, loss of a loved one, abuse, neglect, and foster care) in the community mental health setting. I am a fully trained EMDR therapist by an EMDRIA approved program.
I am a member in good standing with the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
