Meet Dr. Michele Cole
Many of you said, "I want to meet the people running things in our community." So, I’ll be sharing some of the incredible faces I’m meeting from time to time— meet Dr. Michele Cole: 👇
Background:
👋: Dr. Cole founded Moving Forward in 2007 to help children navigate challenges through one-on-one therapy. But over time, she noticed a bigger issue: families were getting fragmented care. A parent might see a therapist in one place, a child in another, and none of the professionals were talking to each other. So she built something different: a collaborative therapy practice rooted in family systems theory. “We can see multiple members of the family, often at the same time,” she said. “When we work together, the whole family heals faster.”
Today, her practice includes 11 therapists, each carefully vetted for their experience and approach. They offer therapy for individuals, couples, and entire families under one roof, along with group therapy. She also teaches at George Mason and mentors future social workers every Friday, staying deeply involved in the next generation of care.
Insight:
💡: Therapy often gets treated like a solo activity, but Dr. Cole believes that’s a missed opportunity. “Let’s say your teen is doing the work and trying to grow, but the rest of the family still sees them as who they used to be,” she explained. “Without making space for that change, healing stalls.” Her approach doesn’t just address symptoms. It rewires the family dynamic to support long-term growth. From parents working on their own anxiety to siblings learning how to show up differently, every piece of the system gets attention.
Food for thought:
🧠: For Dr. Cole, one of the biggest shifts she’s seeing is how families approach therapy. “More people are realizing that healing doesn’t happen in isolation,” she said. At her practice, the team takes a whole-family approach, coordinating care across multiple therapists so each member gets support without juggling a dozen appointments. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the breakthrough isn’t about one person changing, it’s about changing how the whole system supports them.
Want to support? Head to their site and say hello.
Thanks for reading!