Michele Bonanno
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
About Michele
I’m a licensed therapist in Florida with extensive experience supporting individuals through life’s most challenging moments. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with clients across the lifespan, helping them navigate depression, anxiety, trauma, and a wide range of mental health concerns.
My approach is deeply person-centered and trauma-informed. I believe in meeting each client where they are, with genuine respect for their unique values, beliefs, and identities. Whether you’re exploring questions of faith, identity, relationships, or life purpose, I’m committed to creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where you feel truly heard and supported.
I draw from evidence-based therapeutic practices to address concerns including trauma and abuse, self-esteem, communication challenges, grief, attachment issues, life transitions, and much more. I’m particularly skilled at helping clients work through complex emotions like shame, guilt, and abandonment, while also building resilience and self-compassion.
My goal is to walk alongside you with authenticity, curiosity, and care—honoring your strengths while supporting meaningful growth at your own pace. Taking the first step toward therapy takes courage, and I’m honored to be part of your journey.
What Michele helps with
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
Show 72 more areas
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
How Michele works
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Gottman Method
- Internal Family Systems
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Systemic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
What clients say
- “She is Great ❤️”
- “My first session with Michele went so great! She made me feel validated and seen, which is something I haven’t gotten with a previous therapist that I worked with. It made me seem like she really cared about getting to the root of what I want to work through and processing everything. I’m looking forward to more session with her and really getting started in my therapy journey!”
- “Michele is professional, friendly, and competent. She also seems to relate to our issues.”
Show all 15 reviews
- “Michelle has been wonderful. I struggle everyday with the passing of my husband. Michelle has been helping me navigate through the hard times and giving me tools to use in the process. I recommend Michelle if you are going through major life storms.”
- “Michele is extremely professional, helpful, engaging and supportive. She is also extremely accommodating to us and our hectic schedule and life. We are so grateful for her and all she does for us.”
- “Michele is a wonderful person with a lot of experience and knowledge. In the short time we have been meeting, I can see a difference.”
- “I highly recommend Michele Schaffner to anyone struggling with relationship issues. She helped me out when I was in a tight spot, reconnecting with a family member. Her guidance gave me the confidence to meet with them and have a successful meeting. She is kind, supportive and skilled in her profession.”
- “Michelle is very professional, timely and fair with views”
- “She is the best!! She's very caring and quick to respond.”
- “I Worked with Michele for a little under 4 years and have had nothing but positive experiences with her! She is kind empathetic and understanding and super supportive and helpful!”
- “Michele Schaffner provides the type of support needed for busy working executives juggling home and work stresses. She gets into your history to truly understand what maybe driving behaviors that you want to change. Michelle is positive and uplifting all while telling the straight truth in a gentle manner. Highly recommend!”
- “Michele is the best!!”
- “Michelle is fantastic and has helped me so much! She continues to be there and help me through some tough situations and is very easy to communicate with.”
- “I’ve only had one session with Michele so far, but I really like her approach. She listens carefully, takes the time to understand my story, and has already shared a few helpful tools I can use to manage my anxiety. I’m looking forward to continuing our sessions.”
- “She's is outstanding.”
These reviews represent a few of the most recent positive reviews from the therapist's clients on BetterHelp. Some people's experience may be different.
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