Michelle Lesagonicz, LCSW

Michelle Lesagonicz is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Alaska with 11 years of experience helping adults face stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. She focuses on what each person wants to change and uses practical tools to make those changes happen. Michelle aims to build trust through clear listening and respectful communication.

Her approach is rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy along with client-centered and mindfulness methods. She helps people notice unhelpful thoughts, try new coping skills, and practice small behavior shifts that add up. Sessions often include problem solving, guided breathing, and exercises to reframe thoughts.

Michelle supports people dealing with chronic pain, sleep problems, addictions, and compassion fatigue. She also helps with relationship and family concerns, communication problems, and workplace stress. When trauma or post-traumatic stress is involved, she uses trauma-focused techniques alongside grounding and safety planning.

She brings motivational interviewing and solution-focused ideas when someone wants clear, short-term goals. That can look like setting one or two concrete steps between sessions and checking progress together. These methods are practical and action-oriented.

Sessions are offered in English and delivered online by video, phone, live chat, or text messaging. Michelle works with adults to build self-awareness, improve coping, and make lasting decisions that fit their values.

How Michelle Uses Practical Approaches Online

Michelle commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thought patterns and try concrete behavior changes that reduce anxiety, depression, panic, and phobias. CBT sessions often include homework and simple experiments to test new ways of thinking.

She also draws on client-centered therapy, which centers the conversation on the person and their priorities. That means the therapist listens, reflects, and helps clients set goals that matter to them. Mindfulness therapy is another frequent tool; it teaches breathing and present-moment practices to reduce rumination and improve sleep and emotional regulation.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Michelle will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked before. Together they try methods and adjust the plan based on what helps in real life.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face work and skill practice. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a session needs to fit a break at work. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, tracking progress, and ongoing support between longer sessions. These options offer flexibility to fit therapy into a busy schedule.