Michele Root

Welcome to my profile. My name is Michele Root, and I am a licensed clinical social worker in the state of California. I provide individual psychotherapy via telehealth. Prior to becoming a licensed therapist in California, I spent time in my teens/early adulthood volunteering as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and firefighter at my local fire and ambulance companies in Pennsylvania. I was a 3rd generation firefighter and 2nd generation EMT in my family. I grew up learning what it means to show up for my community. At the time, while I felt comfortable with my skills in basic life support, I witnessed many of my patients and fellow first responders experience significant emotional impacts, which inspired me to study psychology in college. After completing my undergraduate degree, I went on to work in social services which involved child abuse and victim services, with a special emphasis on sexual assault and child sexual abuse. This provided me with the skills and knowledge of providing immediate emotional support to survivors and their families, especially during a crisis. This included experience attending forensic rape exams for both adults and children and navigating the criminal justice system. These events can have lasting impacts on survivors beyond the immediate aftermath. Therefore, I chose to attend graduate school to learn the clinical interventions as a clinician providing ongoing care beyond the immediate support. During graduate school, I completed an internship at Stanford Health Care where I spent time in inpatient psychiatry, oncology clinic, and the emergency department. I also completed an internship as a community mental health therapist through the University of Southern California. Additionally, I was selected to complete a voluntary externship with Keck School of Medicine that focused on older adults. After graduation, I completed a yearlong post-graduate fellowship at Stanford Children’s Health before transitioning to the private practice space. I’ve been slowly building upon my education, skills, and experience for almost two decades. I’m passionate about providing ethical, responsible, and evidence-based care for clients. Reaching out for support can be tough to do. This is a safe, supportive, and judgement free zone. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you’d like to schedule a time to speak with me. I offer an initial free 20 minute phone consultation as a time for you to ask any questions and we can determine if it would be a good fit in working together. I respond to every message I receive. I know often, when searching for the right therapist, it’s urgent, and I respect that. I currently have weekday afternoon availability.