Michelle Lesesne-De Santis

Michelle Lesesne-De Santis is a licensed clinical social worker in Florida with 25 years of experience. She focuses on career concerns, motivation, self esteem, confidence, and coaching for professionals. Michelle aims to offer respectful, compassionate support as people take steps toward changes they want.

Her approach is individualized. Sessions begin by listening to what matters most and building goals that fit each person's life. She adapts conversation and techniques to match a client's needs, whether the focus is career decisions, managing life changes, or strengthening self-worth.

Michelle draws on a range of therapy styles to help people practice new skills and shift unhelpful patterns. She uses acceptance techniques to help clients live by their values, cognitive-behavioral ideas to challenge limiting thinking, and client-centered care to keep the session focused on the person’s experience.

She also brings mindfulness and narrative work into sessions when helpful, supporting people to notice present moments and to rewrite unhelpful stories about themselves. Michelle has worked with concerns such as compassion fatigue, body image, communication problems, and life purpose across a long career.

People often come for coaching around career moves, or for support through midlife changes, illness, or recovery from brain injury. Michelle encourages practical steps, clear goals, and steady progress while respecting each person’s pace.

How these approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify values and take action toward them even when feelings are difficult. It is useful for career decisions, life transitions, and reducing avoidance. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments; it can help with confidence, motivation, and changing behaviors that block career progress. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the client's experience, offering empathy and reflection so people can find their own answers and build confidence.

Deciding on an approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods that fit the person’s needs, and adjust based on what helps. That collaborative process makes it easier to match techniques to real-life goals such as career moves, coping with change, or managing burnout.

Confirm the available session formats before booking, since formats are not listed in the profile. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, shorten travel time, and allow brief check-ins during a workday. It can also support consistent practice of skills between meetings, which often leads to steadier progress toward career and personal goals.