Michelle Torres, MA, MFA, AMFT
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #150977
Supervised by Lori Crowley, LMFT #121471
MTMaxson
Employed by the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy at ExP Therapy in Petaluma and telehealth throughout California
My Approach
As a therapist, I am committed to creating a safe, affirming space where every individuals feel seen, heard, and respected. My practice is neurodivergent-affirming, LGBTQIA+-affirming, anti-racist, and culturally sensitive, ensuring that therapy is a place of genuine support and understanding.
I use an integrative, client-centered, holistic approach, tailoring therapy to each person's unique needs. Drawing from various techniques such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, psychodynamic, humanistic, mindfulness-based therapies, and Polyvagal Theory, I help clients navigate challenges with compassion and self-awareness. My goal is to support healing and growth in a way that honors each person's unique path and lived experience.
Parenting & Family Therapy
I specialize in working with parents raising neurodivergent children—especially those with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), ADHD, and autism. Parenting in these contexts can feel confusing, isolating, and exhausting, particularly when traditional strategies don’t work or make things worse. Therapy with me focuses on understanding nervous systems, reducing power struggles, and strengthening connection—so parenting feels more grounded, sustainable, and aligned with your values.
Sessions may include parent-only support, joint parent-child sessions, or full family therapy, depending on your needs. Rather than compliance-based approaches, I help parents develop responsive, relationship-centered strategies that support regulation, emotional safety, and trust. Together, we work to ease burnout, clarify patterns, and build confidence in how you respond—especially during moments of stress or conflict.
Couples Therapy
I work with couples where one or both partners are neurodivergent, as well as couples experiencing high stress, recurring conflict, or emotional disconnection. Differences in communication styles, sensory needs, processing speed, or expectations can create cycles of misunderstanding that leave both partners feeling unseen or blamed.
In our work together, we slow things down and build clarity around those patterns. We focus on increasing understanding, reducing reactivity, and developing communication strategies that honor each partner’s nervous system. The goal is not to change who you are, but to strengthen connection, repair ruptures, and create a relationship that feels steadier, more respectful, and more aligned.
Individual Therapy
I work with individuals navigating anxiety, burnout, trauma, identity shifts, and major life transitions, including women in midlife experiencing changes in roles, energy, and relationships. I also work with adults who are exploring a recent autism diagnosis or coming to understand their neurodivergence later in life. Many clients come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or shaped by years of masking, self-doubt, or emotional strain.
Our work focuses on building clarity, strengthening self-trust, and creating change that feels sustainable rather than forced. Together, we explore what has been driving stress or disconnection and develop practical, compassionate ways to move forward with greater confidence and self-trust.