Michelle R. Ward, LPC, LMFT
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Michelle is an out-of-network provider for most insurance companies. Please contact your provider directly to find out more about your specific out-of-network reimbursement rates for mental health services.
Office Hours Monday thru Thursday
Counseling Experience
Michelle is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a powerful therapeutic model that is shown to ease distress associated with PTSD, mood issues, relationship issues and simple or complex trauma. EMDR helps clients develop positive resources as well as significantly improve client’s functioning by working through difficult memories or past experiences. For more information on EMDR please contact us directly or visit the EMDR website at www.emdria.org.
Michelle’s counseling experience includes private agency work with individual, marital, family, and group outpatient therapy to adolescents/young adults and their families treating depression, anxiety, substance abuse, anger management, social problems, and family functioning. Michelle also has experience providing school counseling to learning and emotionally disabled high school students; outpatient individual and group counseling to sexually abused children and adolescents and sexually reactive boys and girls; intensive in-home family and individual therapy to adolescents and their families, including crisis intervention procedures; psycho-educational group counseling for court ordered and self-referred male perpetrators of domestic violence; inpatient individual and group counseling for patients with critical level mental illness and addictions diagnoses, substance dependence diagnoses, and adolescents with behavioral, emotional, and/or substance abuse issues. Michelle’s undergraduate internship involved counseling clients seeking protective orders involving domestic violence, where she educated clients on safety and cycle of violence issues and provided advocate support to clients throughout legal proceedings.
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Education
Virginia Tech State University, Falls Church, VA. Master of Science, Marriage and Family Therapy
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Bachelors of Arts, Psychology
Fluid Yoga School, RYT 200
Certifications
Certified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) Provider, January 2014-present.
Professional Organizations
Virginia Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Member, September 1997-present.
American Counseling Association, Clinical Member, 2005-present.
International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors, Clinical Member, 2005-present.
Yoga Alliance Member, 2022-present.
Awards & Recognition
Washingtonian Top Couples Therapist 2012 -- Voted by local colleagues as one of the DC area's best Couples & Marriage Counselors.
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Washingtonian Top Therapist 2009 -- Voted by local colleagues as one of the DC area's best mental health specialists in Marriage & Family Counseling.
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American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Student Research Award. “Clients’ Perceptions of the Therapeutic Process: A Mixed Methods Approach."
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Research
Ward, M.R., Linville, D. & Rosen, K. (2007). “Clients’ perceptions of the therapeutic process: A common factors approach.” Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy.
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Publications
​Ward, M.R. & Linville, D. (2007). “The Angry Feelings Toolbox.” In D. Linville & K.M. Hertlein, The Therapist’s Notebook for Family Healthcare. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.
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Linville, D. & Ward, M.R. (2007). “The Superhero in All of Us.” In D. Linville & K.M. Hertlein, The Therapist’s Notebook for Family Healthcare. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.