Accepted insurance & self-pay

Michelle accepts 22 insurers

Aetna

Aetna Medicare Advantage

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Anthem

Cigna | Evernorth

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | BCBS

Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

Carelon

Cigna | Evernorth - Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Compsych

Firefly Health Plan | Cigna PPO Network

First Health Network

HealthSpring | Medicare Advantage

JP Farley Corporation

Medica

Multi Plan PHCS

Optum Serve

Oscar Health

Quest Behavioral Health

UMR

United Healthcare | Optum

United Healthcare | Optum - Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

United Healthcare | Optum Medicare Advantage

Uprise EAP

SELF-PAY COSTS

Out-of-pocket session costs for clients who don’t have insurance or aren’t covered by their insurance for mental health services.

$200

first session

$170

subsequent sessions

About Michelle

Michelle Essary is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 15 years of experience specializing in how the body, brain, and mind all work together. She takes whole-person approach to therapy and works with individuals ages 14 and over, couples, and groups. She specializes in relationship issues, cross-cultural transition, life transition, anxiety, grief, and depression. She also works with those dealing with ADHD, PTSD, peak performance, or navigating neurodivergence.

Michelle has a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Denver Seminary. She is certified in neurofeedback and uses several therapeutic modalities to assist her clients, such as existential therapy, family systems, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Michelle is eager to work with those who believe they are ready for change and wants to join with clients to identify what is not working, the source of their discomfort, and help set them up for and walk with them into successful healing, change, and overall health.

"I am an honest and caring counselor and want to create a safe and real place for clients to explore, discover, try, fail, change, and heal."

Get to know Michelle

Why did you decide to become a counselor or psychiatric provider?

After years working in mentorship and leadership in various settings, I realized that I wanted to walk deeper with people, but I wanted to do so with care and the right knowledge to truly help. That is when I went back to school to get a counseling degree and began working in a clinical setting.

What types of clients do you work with best?

I love to be able to offer a safe and real place for clients to discern and take steps towards healing and change when they are ready. Clients who believe they are ready for honest work and change are often a great fit for my style of counseling.

Other areas of focus

SpecialitiesWomen’s Issues, ADHD, Life Transition, Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Military / Veteran, Medical / Health Issues, LGBTQIA+, Coping Skills, Infidelity, Men’s Issues, Self Esteem, Sleep / Insomnia, Relationships, Trauma / PTSD, Body Dysmorphia, Body Image Issues, Caregivers, Codependency, First Responders, Infertility, Marital & Premarital, Mood Disorders, Neurodiversity, Open Relationships / Non-Monogamy, Peer Relationships, Performance Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Sports Performance, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Gender Identity / Transgender, Stress / Mental Stress / Work Stress, Career Counseling, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Chronic Illness/Pain, Divorce, Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum

ApproachesBiofeedback, Gestalt, Narrative, Neurofeedback, Positive Psychology, Existential Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBCT), Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)