Director: Michelle Marchese, LICSW

I expanded this practice after being the Director of the Smith College Counseling Service and working there with emerging adults for the last decade. Previously I have been the social work clinical supervisor at The Trauma Institute, worked in a PTSD milieu program for The Veterans Administration, and served in two community mental health clinics — always centering trauma recovery and healing. My style is collaborative, interactive, and relational.

My clinical research interests include trauma recovery, race-based traumatic stress, helpful and not helpful dissociation, serving LGBTQIAA+ communities, transfeminism, and supporting other therapists. All my work is grounded in a liberation health framework, contemporary psychodynamic/attachment theories, and trauma-processing modalities.

I teach in the MSW, continuing education, and Ph.D programs at the Smith School for Social Work. Current topics include: intersectional trauma treatment, disability justice, advanced clinical supervision, and psychodynamic theory.

I love live music and all bodies of water, have been previously active in community arts organizing, and my best friends are canine.

Stevie (Nicks) is Michelle’s hypoallergenic canine assistant in the office. She is a rescue, and now a trained therapy dog. She may sit or interact with you or lay cozily in her bed according to your preferences.

Michelle holds the copyright to all photos on the website except the headshots of associates.

Please see the “Michelle’s Services” tab at the top of the page to read more about the range of work Michelle offers.

Degree Education

  • Masters in Social Work from Smith School for Social Work -2011

  • PhD candidate at Smith School for Social Work- current

    CertificationS

  • EMDR Basic Training- 2013

  • EMDRIA Certification- 2016

  • Certified EMDRIA Consultant- 2017

  • Certificate in Advanced Clinical Supervision from Smith School for Social Work -2017

  • Certified in EMDR Group Protocol- 2024

  • Certified in EMDR Recent Episode Protocol- 2024

Additional Trainings

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma from the National Center for PTSD- 2010

  • Progressive Counting for trauma- 2014

  • Post-graduate studies in Dialogic and Narrative approaches at The Institute for Dialogic Practice- 2011-2013

  • The Trauma Center's Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Program- 2017

  • American Psychoanalytic Association Teachers’ Academy Fellow- 2020/21

  • Yearly workshops, trainings and conferences in advanced EMDR, dissociation, including various somatic models (somatic experiencing and sensorimotor) and a range of parts work interventions (like IFS)

    MEMBERSHIPS

  • Member of EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)

  • Racial Equity Education Officer for Western Massachusetts EMDR Regional Board

  • (Past) EMDRIA International Association Regional Coordinator

  • (Past) Board President of the Western Massachusetts EMDR Regional Board

  • (Past) Steering Committee for Erikson Institute Working Conference for College Counseling Centers