Michele is a founding Board Director for the Association of ESD Professionals and Chair of the Ethics & Conduct Committee. She is also a Martial Arts Sensei and Marriage & Family Therapist in San Francisco and Palm Bay, Florida. For over 30 years, Michele’s love of martial arts, teaching, and supporting others has been a driving force in her life and in her decisions educationally, professionally, and personally. Michele has combined these loves in her work with non-profit programs providing therapy to people from diverse populations and teaching youth de-escalation skills, mindfulness, and compassion for themselves and their world. She conducts workshops across the country on topics ranging from stress reduction to dealing with trauma to empowerment self-defense (ESD). She has extensive experience working with the LGBTQQI community, young adults who are or have been involved in the juvenile justice system, and women and their families who have experienced domestic violence.
Michele has also lent her expertise to the U.S. Navy, providing counseling to active duty service members and their families. Michele also practices Shobayashi Shorin-Ryu and Shudokan Karate as sensei and head instructor at the Okinawan Karate Club of San Francisco and holds the rank of Godan (5th degree black belt). Michele has taught ESD, conflict resolution, and de-escalation for over 20 years at National Women’s Martial Arts Federation’s special trainings, Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists and Association of Women Martial Artists conferences, and Okinawan Karate Club national seminars. Michele has her Masters in Clinical Psychology and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Michele enjoys spending time with her three rescue dogs Renshi, Snowy, and Brandy.