Michaela Reynolds, LMSW


Michaela Reynolds portraitTherapeutic Style: My therapeutic style is student-centered, strengths-based and solution-focused, while working through a social justice lens. My goal is to create a safe, supportive and welcoming space that allows students to release, process and make progress towards their desired outcomes. I approach therapy in an integrative manner, pulling in aspects of different modalities so that treatment can be individualized and fit the student’s needs. I hope to make every session the space that students need by meeting them where they are and assisting them in getting to where they wish to be.

Professional Interests: My professional interests include, but are not limited to, serving, supporting and uplifting marginalized communities in academic spaces, pursuing holistic pathways to wellness, and exploring the interaction between ways of eating and an individual’s susceptibility of mental health symptoms. I am also interested in culture/identity exploration and development, as well as assisting young people in life transitions/adjustments as they are entering adulthood.

Group and Liaison Roles: I have experience creating material and running psychoeducation sessions surrounding topics such as cultural mistrust, predominantly White institution (PWI) culture and experience, and self-care for working students. I also have limited experience in assisting with substance use groups. I have held a previous role as a liaison between staff at Upstate University Hospital and a New York City-based social justice organization to begin an anti-racism initiative.

Educational Background: I am a lifelong Syracuse resident who graduated from Corcoran High School. I am a first-generation college student and a proud Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) alumna who earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Le Moyne College. After graduation, I continued my education by obtaining a master of social work from Binghamton University. I also have an educational background in research, specifically focusing on Whiteness, Blackness and educational racism in higher education.

DEIA Trainings: Gender Identity, Indigenous/First Nation Students, Racial/Ethnic Identity, Sexual Identity and Socioeconomic Status.