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 somatic trauma recovery, race-based traumatic stress, helpful and not helpful dissociation, serving LGBTQIAA+ communities, gender, and supporting other therapists. All my work is grounded in liberation health and polyvagal frames.

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

I love live music and all bodies of water, have been previously active in community arts organizing, and my best friends are canine. I am queer, white, and I use they/she pronouns.

Stevie (Nicks) is my 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.

All photos on this website are taken by me, and I hold the copyright.

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 the Western Massachusetts EMDR Regional Board

  • Member of EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)

  • (Past) EMDRIA International Association Regional Coordinator

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