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Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Starting January 2026, I will be in Thailand for spiritual & professional development purposes. As a result, I will not be accepting new clients until March. If you are interested in working together when I return, please reach out and I will respond as soon as I can.
My name is Sam Michaels (mee•kah•Els) (she/they) and as a Holistic Mental Wellness Counselor, I provide trauma informed support to QTBIPoC (queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color) & allies. I use a blend of modalities to address anxiety, grief, and life transitions. Although talk-therapy can be very useful, my aim is to share tangible resources and practices so that those who receive my services can leave our sessions with healthy ways of communication, self-love, conflict-resolution, and emotion regulation. I am an associate licensed clinical social worker in Washington state and share my resources with others outside of WA as a Wellness Consultant.
It is an honor and privilege to accompany clients in their life's transitions. Together, we find the strengths they already have and continue to build on them so that they feel confident in navigating the twists and turns life throws at them. It has given me deep joy to witness clients achieve the intentions they set out during our first session.
Since 2014, I've traveled to over 10 countries and lived in Italy, Morocco, Korea, Spain, and Costa Rica. Each of these chapters have come with beautiful memories, a deep appreciation for my international community, as well as hard lessons learned in navigating culture shock, mental health abroad, resilience, and transformation.
My work is deeply informed by my own journey through hardship. It has given me firsthand understanding of the courage required to face life's challenges. That is what makes this work so important to me--the ability to share skills & resources, as someone who gets what clients are feeling, is an act of purpose, solidarity, and collective liberation. It is my intention to be that thought partner for clients, and it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to do so.
Since becoming a ZOLA Grief Ambassador in 2023, I have shared skills and grief educational resources both in one-on-one and group settings. In July 2025, I trained as a Death Doula and am now honored to serve others in this way. This is a free service, outside of therapy and wellness consulting--if you are interested in learning more, please email me at heatbreattransitions@gmail.com for more information or mention this in the consultation request.
As we heal, we move closer to our liberation as well as our communities'. This is why I am prioritizing services to those who identify as BIPOC/multicultural and/or queer, and are in ally-ship with antiracism, justice for the queer and trans community, mad liberation, fat liberation, disability justice, indigenous rights & land back, and social justice for all oppressed communities.
As a Black, queer, womxn, showing up as my authentic self means actively defying characteristics of white supremacy. In sessions, this will look like welcoming imperfection, critiquing the concept of professionalism, acknowledging systemic oppression, sitting with discomfort, and questioning binary thinking.
Sessions are person-centered which means clients determine how our time will be utilized. We work collaboratively with the client in the driver's seat. While in the passenger's seat, I offer observations, guidance, and resources so that we can get to where the client wants to go.
We are more than our thoughts. We are more than our trauma. Holistic therapy looks into all aspects of an individual's life to point out what is and isn't serving them. In our sessions, we make room for what is happening psychologically, physically, environmentally, and spiritually so that clients can achieve inner and outer balance.
In addition to ancestral practices like somatics, meditation, and breath-work, I apply western modalities when working with clients such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy.
You're invited to email info.sessionswithsam@gmail.com if you have any other questions.
All sessions are provided remotely.
Services are provided to individuals who are 18+. Couples' sessions are not provided at this time.
Sessions range from $175 to $255. I accept credit/debit, Venmo, and PayPal.
Yes! When available, I offer a sliding scale rate of up to 50% off. If not, you'll be invited to join my waitlist.
Yup! I am a member of Open Path Collective as well as the Loveland Foundation. If you're interested in learning more, be sure to mention this in your consultation request.
Please email heartbeattransitions@gmail.com for more information as this is a service offered on a case-by-case basis. You can also mention this in your consultation request.