Membership & Media

Scroll for Printable manifesto and Pricing Transparency

About

With more than 30 years of experience, I integrate strategies from somatic methodology, transpersonal psychology research, and spirituality to guide clients from stress to lasting emotional and relational peace.

Experience

Education & Media Features including but not limited to:
Harvard Medical School – Lifestyle Medicine, Couples in Crisis
Certified Clinical Autism Specialist

Former Trauma Therapist for Adolescent and Adult Females
Featured in Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Vogue, Yahoo Finance, NerdWallet, Earnin, and Women’s World and more.Member: American Psychological Association, Member: International Expressive Arts Therapy Association, Yoga Alliance Designations: E-RYT® 500, RCYT®, RPYT®, YACEP® I am a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider.

Philosophy

My work is offered under the umbrella of coaching, which allows for a flexible, collaborative, and person-centered approach rather than a diagnosis-driven model. I focus on thoughtful conversation, reflection, and creative or contemplative practices that support clarity and steadiness during times of change. Sessions are self-pay, with individual sessions starting at $125, and I offer reduced-fee options on a limited basis as part of my commitment to accessibility and integrity. Fees and options are discussed openly during an initial consultation so we can determine what feels appropriate and supportive.

Just a snapshot of my membership affiliations and some of the media I’ve been featured within.

Mission Statement

Embodied Inquiry is a transpersonal, body–mind–spirit approach to expressive and contemplative counseling rooted in depth psychology.
Its mission is to support individuals in understanding themselves not as disordered or broken, but as meaning-making beings whose inner experiences carry intelligence, history, and symbolic significance.

The Manifesto

1.You are not broken.
Your thoughts, emotions, sensations, and patterns are meaningful responses shaped by experience, relationship, and history.
2. Your body is intelligent.
It carries memory, wisdom, and orientation, and deserves to be listened to rather than overridden or corrected.
3. The psyche speaks in more than words.
Images, symbols, sensations, movement, and creativity are valid and essential forms of knowing.
4. Spiritual life is not separate from psychological life.
Meaning, values, imagination, and the search for wholeness belong within any honest understanding of the human mind.
5. Symptoms are not enemies.
They are signals, adaptations, and invitations to inquiry rather than evidence of defect or failure.
6. Art is a way of listening.
Creative expression is not performance or productivity, but a means of dialogue with what seeks attention and form.
7. Insight unfolds through presence, not pressure.
Growth emerges through curiosity, relationship, and readiness, not force or self-correction.
8. Ambiguity is allowed here.
Not all questions need immediate answers, and not all truths arrive fully formed.
9. Healing is an integrative process.
Body, mind, and spirit move toward coherence when given space, respect, and time.
10. Wholeness is not self-improvement.
It is the deepening capacity to live in relationship with oneself, others, and the world with honesty and care.

Printable version, below

The Manifesto Download

For policy and disclaimer information: https://michelepaiva.com/policy-disclaimer/

Fees & Transparency

In accordance with the Mental Health Transparency Act, my standard session fee is $125 per session, paid in advance to booking confirmation.

Because care is not one-size-fits-all, fees may occasionally vary based on the scope or structure of the work, such as sliding scale considerations, extended or more intensive sessions, or packaged offerings.

Any adjustment is discussed in advance and clearly confirmed in writing prior to services.

I believe transparency supports trust. You will always know the fee structure ahead of time, with clarity and no surprises.