As Featured In

Why can the death of someone young affect us so deeply—even when we didn’t know them? A young death can challenge our sense of safety, predictability, and control, sometimes bringing old wounds or trauma responses to the surface. Understanding these reactions can be an important part of trauma recovery, helping us reconnect with what we can control and move forward with greater intention.

Travel can create unexpected space to reconnect with ourselves, especially during major life transitions. In this Forbes feature, Michelle Smith, LMHC, explores the idea of the “vacation self” and how stepping outside familiar roles and routines can help us reconnect with joy, identity, and parts of ourselves that may have been pushed aside. For those navigating trauma recovery, that reconnection can be an important part of healing.

Featured in Time Magazine, Michelle Smith explores why clutter can feel so overwhelming and what your nervous system has to do with it. Learn how anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, and burnout can impact motivation, increase avoidance, and make everyday tasks feel harder than they are. Discover practical, trauma-informed strategies to reduce overwhelm, build momentum, and support emotional well-being.

Michelle Smith, LPC, LMHC, LCMHC, was recently quoted in USA Today discussing personality, connection, and mental health. As a trauma therapist specializing in trauma recovery, EMDR, and clinical hypnosis, Michelle is passionate about helping individuals better understand themselves, heal from past experiences, and create meaningful, lasting change.

Michelle Smith, LMHC appears on the NPK Integration Health Podcast to discuss intergenerational trauma, boundaries, guilt vs. shame, and moving from survival to thriving. Watch the episode and learn more about trauma-informed therapy.