Jennifer Michels, PhD ABPP

Dr. Michels is a board-certified clinical psychologist with over two decades of diverse clinical experience and administrative leadership. She has broad professional skills across the specialties of clinical, consulting, and health psychology.

Dr. Michels has extensive work experience in academic healthcare settings with expertise in integrated behavioral health care and multi-disciplinary specialty medical services. Dr. Michels specializes in treatment of physicians, lawyers, and other professionals in high-stress occupations. She is an expert in management of cancer-related distress and passionate about women’s health issues. She is skilled in the treatment of mood, anxiety, and adjustment disorders, relationship stress, grief, and other mental health conditions in adult populations.

Dr. Michels draws from a variety of theoretical orientations to deliver evidence-based psychotherapy interventions. Her primary theoretical orientation is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Dr. Michels is licensed in Wisconsin and holds PSYPACT credentials for telehealth practice across the 40 PSYPACT states. 

Dr. Michels received her master’s and doctoral degrees from Southern Illinois University.  She completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin - School of Medicine and Public Health in the Department of Psychiatry where she continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member.  Dr. Michels is a member of the American Board of Professional Psychology, American Psychological Association, and National Register of Health Service Psychologists as well as several other professional affiliations listed below. She is proud to serve on the Wisconsin Psychological Association’s Advocacy Council where she works to promote legislation that improves mental health treatment access and quality standards of care.

Leadership and Administrative Experience:

Dr. Michels recently served as the Director of Graduate Medical Education (GME) Wellness and the Chairperson of the Resident Well-Being Committee at Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS).  In these two roles, she led programming to improve medical trainee well-being and provided consultation and coaching services to medical students, residents, and fellows.  Dr. Michels also served as a member of the MCHS Physician and Allied Professionals Health Committee (PHC) where she provided consultation services to physicians and APCs and support to advance individual, team, and organizational well-being initiatives.  Dr. Michels additionally served as the Psychology Team Lead at MCHS for a decade, guiding policy development, care delivery protocols, clinical hiring decisions, quality improvement initiatives, and expansion of services.

Dr. Michels has been dedicated to training future psychologists and other mental health clinicians over her career. She led the development of the Adult Clinical and Health Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship at MCHS and then served as the Director of Training and as a clinical supervisor for the program for the past 8 years. Dr. Michels has been deeply involved in clinical training, teaching numerous clinical seminars, facilitating a monthly Leadership Seminar, and co-facilitating a monthly Professionalism and Ethics Seminar for psychology fellows. Dr. Michels is passionate about educating professionals, the public, and organizations about improving mental health and well-being in the workplace, our communities, and in the general population.

I grew up in the small town of Minocqua in northern Wisconsin. One of my favorite things to do as a child was to ride my bike to a nearby wooded point, sit on a boulder high above the lake, and look out over beautiful Lake Minocqua. It was at this spot that I decided to become a psychologist…and I’ve never looked back. It seemed fitting to capture where it all began when launching my private practice and consulting business.

I’ve been helping clients learn to thrive for over 25 years. I am a dedicated, passionate professional, committed to providing high-quality services. My office setting will offer you the utmost of privacy. I invite you to contact me to attain your personal goals for improved mental health and well-being.

What’s In A Name?

Professional Affiliations: 

  • American Board of Professional Psychology

  • American Psychological Association

    • Division 12 - Society of Clinical Psychology

    • Division 13 - Society of Consulting Psychology

    • Division 38 - Society of Health Psychology

  • Wisconsin Psychological Association

    • WPA Advocacy Committee

  • National Register for Health Service Psychologists

  • American Psychosocial Oncology Society

  • APA Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology - Class 7