About Michelle Emery-Xu

I am a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#137142) in supervision with Shelby Stone, LMFT (#112223). 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 experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families from diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. I am trained in a variety of counseling models to promote self-reflection and personal insight to produce meaningful and lasting change. I typically incorporate aspects of Restoration Therapy (focusing on attachment, emotional regulation, and mindfulness), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Play Therapy. I value a client-driven collaborative approach and tailor my sessions to client age and needs. As a Marriage & Family Therapist, I am here to help you transform your relationships with others, helping you cultivate understanding, connection, and emotional health in your interaction with others.

I’m warm and welcoming, yet direct and open to challenging you when needed. Humor, laughter, and play are essential to my life and may appear in the therapy room from time to time. My clinical interests include anxiety and stress, depression, life transition, perfectionism, teens, spiritual and faith issues, Asian American issues, and foster youth and foster families.

In our work together, I’ll empower and support you through the complexities of life and help you uncover the potential for joy and growth within you.

Experience & Credentials

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 as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, I provide 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 member in good standing with the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.