Michelle Holleman doesn’t just talk about the hard stuff—she teaches it, treats it, and trains others to do the same.

She’s a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS), Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), Certified Partner Trauma Therapist (CPTT), and Certified Multiple Addictions Therapist (CMAT) specializing in Gaming and Tech. A trauma expert trained in EMDR and experiential therapy, Michelle is also a PhD candidate in Clinical Sexology at the International Institute for Clinical Sexology (IICS), where she serves as Lead Instructor and Department Chair of Kink & Fetishes.

Michelle is kink-affirming, CNM-aware, LGBTQIA+ inclusive, and social-justice-informed. She integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), somatic therapy, and attachment-based work into her clinical practice.

She founded Life Healing Counseling (LHC) in 2018 to offer bold, inclusive, evidence-informed therapy to individuals and couples navigating sex and porn addiction, infidelity, betrayal trauma, kink/fetish exploration, and trauma recovery. LHC offers both in-person and virtual sessions and group therapy in Charlotte, NC.

Michelle has worked alongside Dr. Rob Weiss at Seeking Integrity in Los Angeles and is listed as a preferred provider by Dr. Ken Adams for her expertise in mother-enmeshment and attachment trauma.

Michelle is a nationally recognized speaker, consultant, and trainer. She recently presented “What Am I Missing? How to Spot Sex and Pornography Addiction in Your Clinical Practice” at the 2024 NAADAC National Conference in Washington, D.C. She has contributed to the Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program for NC first responders, worked with Culture Reframed to reduce porn-related harm in youth, and helped develop a screening tool for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

When she’s not leading trauma therapy groups or teaching clinicians how to ethically support kink clients, you’ll find her scuba diving or watching trashy reality TV with her husband and their two small rescue dogs—a snoring chiweenie and a 2-lb chihuahua who pretend she doesn’t exist when her husband walks in the room.

“Helping people reclaim their lives from trauma, addiction, and shame isn’t just what I do—it’s my calling.”

Michelle is licensed to practice in North Carolina and South Carolina.