Gratitude Leads

Through a legacy of personally valuing and understanding the depth and uniqueness of each child and each adult, Jackie Michel has come to be an advocate for re-centering thinking on the possibilities for each person and the mastery of personal/professional skills and attitudes that lead to well-being and success.

​

After having trained with Dr. Robert Shaw of the Family Institute of Berkeley in a transformational approach to working with people, she integrated breakthrough approaches in her work with individuals, families and organizations in Houston, Texas.  She had her own company in Houston for 10 years, served as a consultant to three hospitals and provided coaching, counseling and workshops to therapists and parents.

​

Having relocated to Upstate New York in 1986, she ran the Oneida County Child Guidance Clinic, before becoming the Clinical Director of the Family Services Agency of the Mohawk Valley.  She later developed her own company, J. Michel Associates, a unique organization providing counseling, coaching, and workshops in New York and Houston on such topics at parenting, stress management, gratitude, happiness, positive psychology, communication, and women and leadership.

​

While the cutting edge of change best describes her career and life philosophy, Jackie’s curiosity and eagerness to learn have inspired her to continually explore all the groundbreaking new information on happiness, gratitude, mindfulness, neuroscience, why nature matters for our well-being, and the ancient wisdom of philosophers, spiritual leaders and Native Americans.

​

Realizing the importance of the skills and training available to leaders and managers, she believed parents deserved similar insights and wisdom relative to parenting and it should be available in an easily accessible format. With her extensive experience in working with people and kids from every walk of life, she has integrated this up to date information with her transformational learning approach in the online course she created for parents and others committed to children, “Mastering the Art of Raising Great Kids.”

​

In her book, “Hooray for Parenting, Your Guide to Raising Great Kids,” Jackie likens the parenting journey to looking into a crystal.  No matter what facet one focuses on, all the others are reflected.  Those multiple reflections or themes and prerequisites for creative masterful parenting include love, learning, listening, patience, practice, using the power of limits, the power of mistakes, courage and trust.

 

Today, she and her husband live in Fayetteville, New York where she continues private video counseling and coaching with clients in New York, Houston and California. She has created the website www.GratitudeLeads.com.

She currently serves as a consultant to the management team and direct care workers at United Cerebral Palsy in Utica, NY.

​

Education:

• Masters Degree – Simmons College

• Bachelors Degree – Simmons College, Oberlin College

• Executive Challenge , Mastery programs offered by Gap International

• Coaching for Clinicians, offered by MentorCoach.com

• Other Continuing Education includes courses in Psychotherapy, Brain Science, Positive Psychology, and Happiness, Mindfulness, Stress Reduction, Leadership, Individual and organizational transformation, Effective communication, Motivation,  Productivity and Professional /personal coaching.

 

Honors:

• Women in Business Award, Utica, NY

• Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International, Utica Club

 

Personal:   

• Jackie volunteers for the Onondaga Earth Corps, an organization in Syracuse committed to empowering youth through environmental work

• She is a grandmother of six, who are active in the music and theater communities in Syracuse

• Her husband, Peter Michel, is a nationally known sculptor with public art work in Upstate NY, Springfield, Mass, Urbana, Ill, Houston, Dallas and Washington DC

​