Dahlia Michels L.C.S.W. Psychotherapist

Introduction – Dahlia Michels, L.C.S.W. Dahlia Michels, L.C.S.W. is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board-Certified Sex Therapist, Certified in Addictions, and RRT Trauma-Informed therapy specialist with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of clinical psychotherapy, neuroscience, and human performance. She provides telehealth-based psychotherapy and performance consulting, with a limited number of in-person sessions available by appointment only. Her work focuses on helping individuals and high-functioning professionals strengthen emotional regulation, nervous system resilience, cognitive flexibility, and emotional coherence, particularly within high-stress populations such as veterans, first responders, healthcare professionals, executives, and their families. Dahlia’s clinical framework integrates neuroplasticity, trauma-informed therapy, evolutionary psychology, and performance neuroscience to support sustainable mental health, relational functioning, and optimal human performance. Her approach is grounded in the understanding that emotional stability, decision-making capacity, relationship dynamics, and behavioral change depend on physiological nervous system regulation. Areas of Specialization Dahlia specializes in: * Neuroplasticity and nervous system regulation * Trauma-informed therapy and subconscious patterning * Couples and dating psychology * Evolutionary psychology and relational dynamics * Emotional regulation and emotional coherence * Sexual health and sexual wellbeing * Fertility and women’s health * Executive functioning and performance psychology * Addiction counseling and recovery psychology * Behavioral health and lifestyle optimization * Healthy eating, weight management, and exercise psychology * Resilience training for high-stress professions Her work integrates both mental (cognition, insight, meaning-making) and physical (somatic regulation, sensory integration, interoceptive awareness), enabling greater therapeutic outcomes. Education & Clinical Training Dahlia earned her Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. She completed her undergraduate degree at Touro College with a concentration in Psychology and Communications. She attended Columbia University’s Teachers College Integrative Nutrition program and integrates behavioral health and lifestyle psychology into her clinical work. During her graduate training, she completed internships at: St. Luke’s Roosevelt Research Center for Obesity Phoenix House Substance Abuse Program She is also certified in Addictions Counseling, supporting individuals with substance use, compulsive behaviors, and recovery-oriented behavioral change. Post-Licensure Advanced Clinical Experience After licensure, Dahlia completed advanced professional training and certification in Rapid Resolution Therapy-- trauma-informed therapy--and has worked as a trauma-certified specialist in outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), and partial hospitalization (PHP) settings throughout Florida. Dahlia has worked with over 2,500 clients as a trauma specialist working with developmental stress patterns, chronic nervous system dysregulation, relational imprints, performance burnout, and subconscious behavioral conditioning She has served as an independent trauma-informed specialist and clinical consultant for numerous behavioral health programs across Florida, including: * Palm Partners Recovery (Outpatient & Detox) * The Orchid Recovery * Oasis Medical * Rise Again Recovery * Executive Ranches Recovery (Clinical Director) * Fallen Leaves Recovery * Dynamic Waves of Change Recovery * The Amy Winehouse Project * JC’s Recovery Veterans, First Responders & Clinical Credentialing Dahlia is credentialed with the VA Community Care Network, providing mental health services for veterans, and is a Medicare provider, accepting Medicare as a primary insurance for eligible clients. She is also certified through the Florida Firefighters Safety & Health Collaborative – Clinician Awareness Program, providing specialized trauma-informed and performance-based mental health services for: * Veterans and military populations * Firefighters and law enforcement * Emergency responders and frontline professionals * Healthcare workers and high-stress occupations * Families and partners of first responders Her work in these populations focuses on nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, relational coherence, and performance under pressure. Current Work & Research Dahlia is currently completing her Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology (2026), with academic research focused on: * Neuro-somatic regulation * Female sexual neurobiology * Sexual health and fertility * Trauma-informed therapy and embodiment * Subconscious patterning and behavior change * Evolutionary psychology and relational systems Her ongoing work centers on developing scalable, evidence-based clinical and performance programs that integrate: * Neuroscience * Trauma-informed therapy * Somatic and sensory regulation * Behavioral health and lifestyle medicine * Emotional coherence and performance training These programs are designed for individuals and organizations seeking high-level emotional regulation, stress resilience, relational intelligence, and sustainable performance under pressure. Clinical Approach Dahlia’s therapeutic model is grounded in modern neurobiology, systems psychology, and performance science, emphasizing: * Autonomic nervous system regulation * Interoceptive and sensory awareness * Neuroplasticity and memory reconsolidation * Subconscious behavioral patterning * Emotional bandwidth expansion * Brain–body emotional coherence Rather than focusing solely on symptom reduction, her work targets the underlying physiological and neuropsychological drivers of behavior, allowing clients to: * Improve emotional stability * Increase stress tolerance * Enhance relationship functioning * Optimize cognitive and executive performance * Build long-term psychological resilience Her approach translates clinical science into real-world functional outcomes, supporting both personal well-being and professional effectiveness through telehealth-based care with limited in-person sessions by appointment.