Michelle Kerrigan

Additionally, Michelle supports family members in reflecting on their roles in their family dysfunction and identifying pathways to make healthy changes.

Michelle previously worked at Caron from 2015 until 2021 in various roles, most recently as an alumni/patient coordinator at Caron Ocean Drive, providing aftercare planning, supporting patients' return home, and managing and facilitating alumni support groups. She also worked as a lead counselor assistant and counselor assistant at Caron Ocean Drive.

During this time, Michelle's passion for evidence-based care began, rooted in the research world of trauma-informed treatment in the juvenile justice system. Specifically, she became interested in the impacts of trauma and the importance of understanding and approaching behaviors as symptoms of an environment or underlying problem. For example, Michelle found a number of studies regarding misunderstood “problem” behavior, assigning negative labels, though far fewer research studies about how to help those individuals work through their complex trauma and develop a healthier sense of being.

From 2021 until 2022, she was a therapist at an adolescent male treatment facility, treating teenage boys with mental health, substance use, and developmental/complex trauma. Working with teenagers helped her better understand the link between developmental and generational trauma and substance use and mental health complications and the need for family engagement in treatment to enable systemic change.

Michelle is a registered clinical social work intern (RCSWI) with a Master of Social Work (MSW) and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton. She also has specialized advanced training in the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM-III) for treating complex trauma/PTSD as well as advanced training in dialectical behavior therapy, Safe and Sound Protocol, polyvagal theory, compassionate inquiry, and somatic therapy.