Dr. Michaela Hammer, LCSW

Dr. Michaela Hammer brings more than 35 years of clinical experience to people navigating significant life transitions, with particular attention to those moving from adolescence through midlife and into later years. She focuses on the practical and emotional shifts that accompany changing family roles, social circles, work, and community involvement, and she helps clients separate common transition myths from reality so they can move forward with renewed hope and dignity. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW, she combines advanced education and years of practice to offer memory loss and cognitive functioning assessments, recognizing that not all memory concerns are permanent and that evaluation can point the way toward helpful resources and next steps.

Her practice includes support for grief, including pet loss, an area she developed in response to referrals from veterinarians and medical professionals when people lose beloved four-legged family members. She has provided therapy to individuals, couples, and families across a wide range of ages - from preteens to people over 100 - and from diverse racial, religious, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds. Her work has taken place in offices, private homes, schools, retirement communities, nursing homes, and hospitals, and she has led in-services on cultural awareness and aging issues as well as helped establish memory clinic services and routine depression and anxiety assessments.

Dr. Hammer emphasizes that issues do not have to be age-specific and that each person is unique. Her approach blends clinical knowledge with compassion and a commitment to helping people find answers, resources, and support during difficult transitions rather than leaving them to face challenges alone.