Michaela Friedrich (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #117042) who has been with the Practice team since 2020.

She specializes in treating anxiety disorders, OCD, phobias, and related challenges in children, adolescents, young adults, and adults. Her clinical approach is integrative and evidence-based, drawing from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), attachment theory, mindfulness, and parent coaching.

Michaela is passionate about working with individuals across the lifespan and is deeply attuned to the importance of meeting each client where they are in their identity development. Whether working with children exploring emotional regulation, teens navigating social pressures, or adults facing life transitions, Michaela brings compassion, insight, and flexibility to support each client’s unique journey. She also has specialized experience supporting perinatal and postpartum clients, including those managing postpartum OCD and anxiety.

Grounded in values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Michaela strives to create a therapeutic space that is affirming, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed. She has worked extensively in settings serving individuals and families from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including school-based mental health, community agencies, and the foster care system. Michaela is committed to cultural humility and aims to support clients of all identities—including across race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, and neurodiversity.

As someone who identifies as neurodivergent and grew up with dyslexia, Michaela brings both professional expertise and personal lived experience to her work with neurodiverse clients. She incorporates this perspective to foster empathy, empowerment, and authenticity in the therapeutic relationship, when appropriate and welcomed by the client.

Michaela earned her Master’s in Counseling Psychology from The Wright Institute and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Gonzaga University. She has received advanced training in CBT for OCD through the Beck Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital and is also trained in Yale University’s SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) program. Her background includes work in intensive outpatient programs, trauma-informed school-based therapy, parent coaching, applied behavior analysis, and leading therapeutic groups for middle schoolers.

In her free time, Michaela enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors, and beach days with her dog, making the most of the natural beauty in the Bay Area.