Dr. Michaela Hammer

Dr. Michaela Hammer uses a client-centered approach to help people through major life transitions. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 35 years of experience and focuses on grief, relationships, mood concerns, and the stresses that come with changing roles. Her style is direct and practical, aimed at helping people find direction and calm during hard times.

She pays attention to the stories people tell about how they should feel. Dr. Hammer helps separate myths from facts about memory, mood, aging, and neurodivergence. She explains options clearly and helps clients set realistic next steps so they can move forward with dignity.

Dr. Hammer also provides assessments of memory loss and cognitive functioning and shares research and resources rather than leaving people with a label. She works with concerns such as depression, anxiety, bipolar issues, ADHD, caregiver stress, and the challenges that come with aging and illness.

Many years of work in offices, homes, schools, retirement communities, nursing homes, and hospitals inform her practice. She has experience running memory clinics and offering in-service training on cultural awareness and aging topics. Her background includes counseling across many racial, religious, and socioeconomic groups.

She has developed a particular focus on grief that includes losses people sometimes underestimate, such as the death of a long-loved pet. She aims to walk alongside people during loss and change, helping them gather information and resources as they rebuild a sense of purpose.

Therapeutic approaches and working online

Dr. Hammer commonly uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely, respecting each person's experience, and helping people discover their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and offers practical steps to change unhelpful habits that worsen mood and anxiety.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to match methods to their needs, goals, and preferences so the plan feels useful and realistic.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so please confirm available options before booking. Many people find online sessions useful because they can more easily fit therapy into a busy day, avoid travel time, and use shorter check-ins when schedules demand it. Online work can also make it simpler to continue care during life transitions or when mobility or caregiving duties limit travel. Licensed professionals, including therapists, adapt techniques like CBT and client-centered conversations to work well in remote appointments when that format is arranged.