Dr. Michelle Flaum

Dr. Michelle Flaum, LPCC-s, DCMHS, Professor in the Department of Counseling at Xavier University, is a Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervisory Endorsement in Ohio, a Fellow of the American Mental Health Counseling Association, and Dual-Diplomate, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialist in Trauma Counseling and Integrated Behavioral Health Care Counseling. In 2022, Michelle developed the Certificate in Medical Trauma-Informed Care at Xavier, which is the first training program of its kind, world-wide. Author of the first book dedicated solely to the topic of medical trauma, Managing the Psychological Impact of Medical Trauma: A Guide for Mental Health and Health Care Professionals (2016, Springer Publishing), Michelle has published several articles on medical trauma and patient support and has worked with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative/Stanford University and The Council on Patient Safety in Women's Healthcare to develop assessment tools to help clinicians provide improved quality of care for patients who experience medical trauma. She is a strong advocate for integrating mental health professionals into treatment teams to enhance the patient experience and improve patient care, and her assessment tools and protocols are used throughout the U.S. and the world. Michelle has been a featured expert on medical trauma throughout the media, including NPR's All Things Considered, Doctor Radio on SiriusXM, Health Professional Radio, Refinery29, Healthcentral.com, The Conversation and Elle Magazine.

Michelle earned her Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision at The University of Cincinnati, Master of Science in Education in Community (Clinical Mental Health) Counseling at the University of Dayton, and Bachelor of Arts in Classics (Greek and Latin) from The Ohio State University where she graduated summa cum laude and with Distinction in Classics. Michelle has over 20 years of experience in private practice and works with adult clients using an integrative approach of cognitive-behavioral, existential, and mindfulness-based therapies. At Xavier, Michelle teaches courses in counselor skills training, professional topics, and contemporary treatment approaches including mindfulness, strengths-based interventions and neuroscience in counseling.

Outside of her work, Michelle is an artist working in mixed media and glass, a writer of creative non-fiction and historical fiction, and an avid cook and baker. She also loves spending time outdoors and traveling the world.