Michele "Shelly" Virva

Michele "Shelly" Virva is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) practicing in Michigan with 20 years of experience. She centers sessions on the person's own knowledge of their life and goals. Shelly speaks plainly and encourages small steps that add up to meaningful change.

Shelly focuses on worries like stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use concerns. She also helps people navigate trauma and abuse along with practical problems such as communication breakdowns and workplace strain. Divorce and separation are among the life changes she can address in therapy.

Her approach is collaborative. Clients bring their stories and strengths, and she offers tools and strategies to move forward. That can mean looking at thought patterns, building coping skills, or setting short-term goals to see change quickly.

Shelly uses methods that fit each person rather than a one-size-fits-all plan. She blends client-centered listening with evidence-informed techniques so sessions feel grounded and useful. Sessions emphasize what a person wants to accomplish and how to get there.

People who work with Shelly often focus on practical steps - reducing daily stress, managing mood shifts, or addressing substance use with clearer next steps. She aims to support and empower each person toward a more satisfying day-to-day life.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to the person. Online sessions can use that same approach by helping clients name goals, clarify values, and build on strengths in each meeting.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors to create small, measurable changes. In remote sessions this often means setting concrete homework, tracking patterns between meetings, and practicing new skills in everyday situations.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity. These brief exercises can be practiced together during a session and then added into daily routines to help manage stress or anxiety.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, pace, and preferences. That plan can be adjusted as progress is made.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It can also make it simpler to practice skills between sessions and bring real-life problems into discussion without rearranging an entire day.