Michelle Pliska, LPC-MH, LPCC

Michelle Pliska is a licensed mental health counselor who brings 18 years of professional experience to her work with individuals facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and life transitions. She holds LPC-MH and LPCC credentials - LPC-MH denotes a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mental Health and LPCC indicates a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor - and she practices from South Dakota while drawing on a background that spans clinical mental health, educational settings at the middle, high school, and college levels, and experience with the juvenile justice system.

Michelle offers traditional talk therapy alongside registered play therapy, integrating creative methods such as music and art when helpful. These expressive tools are used to deepen insight, process loss, and support emotional regulation across ages and developmental stages. Her approach emphasizes open communication, unconditional positive regard, and practical steps that move each person toward clearer goals and improved coping skills.

Clients work with Michelle to build a supportive space for honest exploration of feelings, relationship challenges, identity questions, and life purpose concerns. She focuses on collaborative, evidence-informed care aimed at reducing isolation, strengthening resilience, and helping people take meaningful steps toward the life changes they seek.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Michelle uses traditional talk therapy to explore thoughts, emotions, and behavior patterns through focused conversation and collaborative problem solving. This approach helps with anxiety, depression, stress, relationship and workplace issues, and navigating life changes by identifying goals and building practical coping skills.

She also integrates play and creative expressive techniques such as music and art when appropriate, using nonverbal and creative activities to support emotional processing, grief work, and communication for clients of varying ages. These methods can make it easier to access difficult feelings and to practice new ways of relating to oneself and others.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Michelle works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and together they determine which techniques and pace fit best. Licensed professionals can offer these approaches effectively through remote formats, and online sessions provide flexibility for busy schedules and those who prefer connecting from home.

Online options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - allow clients to access consistent care with scheduling convenience and easier ongoing support from a licensed therapist.