Denise (Michelle) Chambers, LISW

Though her legal first name is Michelle, she has always gone by her middle name, Denise. Until the advent of social media, many distant family members were unaware that Michelle was her given name. She still carries a childhood nickname used by her family of origin and relatives to this day. 

Denise began her academic journey in Social Work in 1980 at Tuskegee University in Alabama, the hometown of Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores. While her education path took a different direction initially, she persevered and completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Capital University more than three decades later. She then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The Ohio State University the following year. 

Her professional career has been marked by diverse experiences across multiple populations and settings. She dedicated over a decade to working in Addictions, spanning inpatient and outpatient care, admissions, Partial Hospitalization Programs, and weekend residential programs for both men and women. Her career also includes meaningful work in hospice care, which she found both deeply fulfilling and humbling. 

Currently, Denise works with adults 18 and over, providing both individual and couples therapy. She specializes in helping clients navigate depression, grief, anxiety, social anxiety, and recovery from substance and process addictions, as well as other aspects of the human condition. 

When asked about her therapeutic philosophy, Denise shares what she tells all clients in their first session: “We don’t come to therapy to be fixed—because machines FIX, people have to HEAL. Therefore, we come to start the Healing Journey. Also, therapy is really all about helping you to better manage your humanity or else, your humanity WILL manage you!” She positions herself as a Co-Partner on this Healing Journey, emphasizing the collaborative nature of therapeutic growth and learning.