Hello--
My name is Michael Ross and I’m a nationally recognized thought leader, and licensed clinical social worker. Currently, I work in government on a full-time basis. Additionally, I practice therapy and teach part-time. For the last five years, I have taught graduate-level courses for the School of Social Work—both online and in person. These courses have been focused on mental health policy, research, practice evaluation, cognitive therapy, and technology in social work. I have been actively practicing therapy since 2013.
I am a strength-based and positive-psychology-focused therapist that is focused on empowering my clients. My approach to therapy is client-centered: clients are the experts on their lives and determine the direction and depth of therapy. Through a strengths-based and solutions-focused lens, I draw on multiple treatment modalities to guide clients in identifying strengths and developing treatment plans that accomplish their goals. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I assist clients in exploring relationships among thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to aid in discovering dysfunctional thought patterns leading to self-destructive behaviors and beliefs. Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I support clients through developing skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation with the goal of moving clients towards a life involving the capacity for experiencing joy and freedom.
As a clinician, I currently possess my unrestricted LCSW in the State of Indiana—where I am afforded the ability to diagnose under my clinical credentials. I practice tele-mental health, where I work with a diverse client populations that struggle with trauma, grief, loss, and complex stress. I have spent my clinical career focusing on helping individuals, couples, and groups develop cognitive resilience and psychological resistance to trauma, disasters, and biologically toxic levels of stress.
I’m trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT); Question, Persuade, Respond (QPR); Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT); Seeking Safety; Crisis Counseling, Psychological First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, PsySTART, mindfulness-based techniques, brief interventions, and multiple other clinical approaches. In the past, I have served as a master trainer for various clinical approaches. I have direct experience working with clients struggling with co-occurring disorders, serious mental illness, toxic stress, sexual violence, and trauma. I have worked in inpatient and outpatient settings, where I was responsible for individual, group, and family treatment in a time delineated environment.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my wife, children, and dogs. I also enjoy reading comic books and watching Leicester City Football Club. I'm originally from the Louisville, KY area. I received my undergraduate degree in Religious Studies and Psychology from the Indiana University in Bloomington, my Masters's degree in Social Work is from Indiana University School of Social Work in Indianapolis, and my Pre-Doctoral Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. I am currently working on a Doctoral Degree in Psychology.
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Family conflicts, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, Aging and Geriatric Issues, BDSM, Kink, Alternative Sex Culture, Blended Family Issues, Body image, Commitment Issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Divorce and separation, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, First Responder Issues, Forgiveness, Guilt and shame, Infidelity, Jealousy, Life purpose, Men's issues, Military and Veterans Issues, Money and financial issues, Obsessions, Compulsions, and OCD, Post-traumatic stress, Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling), Self-love, Sex Addiction, Sexuality, Smoking/Vaping Cessation, Traumatic Brain Injury, Workplace issues, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
IN LCSW 34007976A
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Michael Ross. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Michael Ross allows you the time to unpack your feelings and asks questions that prompt you to think deeply about why you have the perspective that you do. He allows you to pause on answers that you're not ready to answer fully and doesn't push the issue. He also recognizes you as an individual and reminds you of that true as often as you need.
Written on Mar 15, 2023 after therapy with Michael for 1 year and 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, sleeping disorders, and coping with life changes