Michelle Houghton, LPC

Michelle is a licensed professional counselor who uses a blend of traditional therapeutic techniques and creativity to focus on each clients’ unique strengths and challenges. She works with adults and adolescents who struggle with anxiety and depression, as well as high performance individuals to help them achieve their highest potential

Introduction

Michelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor who is passionate about helping individuals find insight, healing, growth, and validation through the counseling process. Michelle works with all genders and ages on a variety of issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and concerns related to family and/or child-parent relationships, postpartum issues, self-worth and negative self-talk, work-life balance, and overcoming powerful negative emotions. She believes deeply that all individuals are capable of profound insight and healing, and helps clients identify and overcome barriers by promoting strategies of mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and communication.

Current Focus & Interests

Michelle blends a combination of therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) with wellness strategies such as mindfulness, self-compassion, authenticity, promotion of the mind-body connection, intentionality, and creativity to identify challenges and assist clients with insight, growth, and healing. 

Michelle is a creative thinker, open to new experiences and points of view. As a self-taught artist, she utilizes painting as an outlet to express her ideas and insights. She is an experienced speaker, performer, and comedy writer as well, and enjoys gardening, running, traveling, and spending time with her three kids and husband. 

Experience

Michelle began her career in mental health in 2004 at Burrell Behavioral Health. She created and oversaw an after-school psychosocial rehabilitation program providing social-skill building and peer support for children and adolescents experiencing co-occuring mental health disorders, which still serves families in the Springfield area to this day.

In 2009 Michelle graduated with a Masters in Counseling and School Counseling from Evangel University, and shortly after transitioned into a role as a School Counselor for the Ozark School District, providing a variety of counseling services including intelligence testing and 504 oversight to students in the 7th and 8th grades. During this time she worked toward obtaining licensure with the State of Missouri as a Professional Counselor under the supervision of Dr. Gabriel Cline, founder of Psych Associates. 

In 2015 Michelle co-founded an organization called The Bravery Board; a female-focused podcast and in-person monthly gathering in the Springfield area promoting mental health and personal growth. Michelle developed a keen awareness of women’s challenges and concerns during this time, and spoke at events consistently around the Springfield area before The Bravery Board concluded its live events and podcast in 2020. 

In 2017 Michelle transitioned away from full-time employment to focus on her young family, and worked as Director of Chapter Services for the non-profit Care to Learn, which partners with school districts across the state of Missouri by providing assistance to students in need. 

In 2024 Michelle was thrilled to join Psych Associates as a counselor to utilize her greatest strengths and passion for helping others. 

Education

Michelle graduated from Drury University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. 

In 2009, she earned her Master of Science in Counseling and School Counseling from Evangel University.

Michelle received her counseling license in 2018.