Michelle Callahan, LMHP, MA

Behavioral Health

Michelle Callahan, LMHP, is a mental health therapist with more than 25 years of experience. She was born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where snow skiing is a popular community sport. Michelle earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and her graduate degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha. She also completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training, specializing in meditation, yin yoga, deep relaxation, and mindfulness.

Michelle knew from a young age that she wanted to be a therapist. As a teenager, she spent hours on the phone listening to friends talk about family issues, feelings, and fears. Her father was a pastor and hospital chaplain who visited the sick and dying, offering comfort and support to families and patients. Serving others was always part of her life, and helping people still brings her joy and purpose.

Michelle’s mantra is “People first, process second.” She is patient, purposeful, and practical. She believes that compassionate care, combined with sound clinical methods, leads to healing and transformation. Whole Person Healthcare means recognizing that the body, mind, and spirit are connected and cannot be treated separately. Like an egg, a person has many distinct parts all in one. Michelle has specialized experience in brain injury rehabilitation, including seven years of cognitive therapy with individuals, couples, and families. She has worked on social skills, memory loss, executive function, and community integration with people who have spinal cord injuries, acute brain injuries, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other brain injuries. Her advice: you are worthy of self-care. If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will. Self-care is crucial for mental, physical, and emotional healing. Michelle is passionate about empowering patients with positive affirmations and building confidence and self-belief. She lives by the belief that “We Rise by Lifting Others.”

Michelle joined think because she believes in treating every part of a person, not just one aspect. The model’s focus on integrated, whole-person care matches her approach of connecting body, mind, and spirit, instead of treating them separately.

Patients often tell Michelle that she has a calming voice and demeanor, and that they feel cared for, validated, and heard. One experience that stands out to her is the connection she has built with patients who have limited verbal skills but are able to trust and grow through touch and time. Words are not always needed for healing; sometimes, the steady presence of a caregiver can make a big difference.

Michelle spends time outside whenever she can. She enjoys walking in nature, soaking up the sun, and playing with her dog, Bear. If time, money, and ability were unlimited, she would travel around the world to as many places as possible. She is fascinated by the culture and customs of distant places.