About Me

Hi,

     I’m Michelle, and we probably have a lot in common. During my counseling career, I often felt overwhelmed and underprepared for the daily issues I encountered. I constantly dealt with critical problems, searched for new counseling techniques, and struggled to make headway. That’s why I started Counselor on the Go-to educate professionals on mental health issues and effective crisis response using science-based interventions and real-world experiences. Having experienced professional burnout, I always include self-care in my training sessions. In my opinion, nothing is more important than taking care of yourself so you can continue to help those who desperately need you. 

     I am a native of Brownsville, Texas. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Texas at Brownsville. I am a former classroom teacher and school counselor with over 30 years of experience at the elementary, middle, high, and collegiate levels. For most of these years, I served as an at-risk counselor, helping to change the lives of youth experiencing neglect and abuse, drug and alcohol use, and challenging behavioral issues. As lead counselor, I coordinated crisis intervention teams to respond to tragic events such as faculty/student deaths, school shootings, and suicides.

      My advanced training includes school crisis response and acute traumatic stress management. Additionally, I was an adjunct professor and clinical supervisor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville. I taught courses on personal growth, crisis counseling, practicum I, and supervised master’s level counselors as they provided services to the community. I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor with Board approval to supervise Licensed Professional Counselor Associates. I have had the honor of speaking at state, national, and international conferences and providing consultation services on various mental health issues, specializing in crisis prevention, intervention, and response.

My goal is to help your organization with issues that were not covered in graduate programs and are often learned on the job – or, as I call it, TRIAL BY FIRE!

In my spare time, I serve on the Board of Directors for Sunshine Haven Inc., a special care facility for the terminally ill that provides end-of-life care at no cost to the patient. I am a wife and mom, and I love photography, animals, nature, visiting National Parks, and traveling!