Dr. Michelle Le-Chau is a licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY 17306) practicing in West Los Angeles/Century City, California. Dr. Le-Chau works collaboratively with clients and believes that client's personal involvement in creating mutually agreed upon and meaningful goals in treatment increases the client's motivation and effort to work towards these goals. Areas of specialty include mind/body health issues, depression, anxiety, grief, transitional life issues, eating disorders, and trauma.
Dr. Le-Chau's work with clients integrates training from Cognitive-behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapies (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-ACT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS). ACT takes on a different approach to psychological health than other treatment approaches. ACT's goal is to help an individual live a valued life with psychological flexibility by taking effective action towards a meaningful life even if uncomfortable experiences, thoughts, feelings, and sensations occur. It is less about problem-solving and turning away from your pain AND more about cultivating psychological flexibility to accept our experiences for what they are to free up our energy to move toward what matters. ACT’s psychological flexibility skills helps us expand our perspective taking and build a healthier inner relationship with thoughts and feelings so that we can live a satisfying and content life. For more information on ACT, go to www.contextualscience.org
Internal Family Systems is a form of therapy that is compassionate, non-pathologizing, powerfully healing and deeply respectful of our inner life. Bringing awareness and connection to the IFS concept of core Self (calm, centered, curious, compassionate core of who you are) into the therapy experience is a powerful inner healing tool for past emotional burdens. IFS emphasizes deep healing from the inside out and complements ACT therapy. For more information on Internal Family Systems, go to www.ifs-institute.com
It is also important for a therapist to embody the attitudes that nurture healing in therapy. Dr. Le-Chau's personal mindfulness practice and love of being in nature helps reinforce what scientist, writer, and meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn describes as the attitudinal factors of mindfulness practice: non-judgment, acceptance, patience, beginner's mind/curiosity and trust.
Dr. Le-Chau received her Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles campus (an APA accredited program) in 1999 and has been licensed in California as a Clinical Psychologist since 2001. Dr. Le-Chau works primarily in private practice providing direct and telehealth therapy services for adults, and also provides ACT and IFS-informed consultation services.
Dr. Le-Chau's professional affiliations include serving as the Chair of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA) Mindfulness & Spirituality Special Interest Group for 10 years (until 2017), 2021 President of the Southern California Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) and 2022 Past President, and professional member of LACPA, American Psychological Association (APA), ACBS, and ACEP to embody professional values of connection, community and continued learning.
Professional Affiliations:
Los Angeles County Psychological Association