Story & Lesson Highlights with Michelle Worley LMFT of Westport

Michelle Worley LMFT shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Michelle, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
What I’m most proud of building – though it’s largely unseen by the public – is Launch, the internal training and development program at Great Oaks Therapy Center. While our clients experience the care and expertise of our therapists, what they don’t see is the depth of intentionality behind that work. Launch was created to ensure that every therapist at Great Oaks is not only well-trained, but also deeply engaged in their own ongoing growth – professionally, clinically, and personally. It’s a culture of learning, reflection, and collaboration that shapes how we show up for the people we serve. Watching that environment quietly strengthen both our therapists and our clients’ experiences is one of the most meaningful parts of my work.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Michelle Worley, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, clinical supervisor, and the owner of Great Oaks Therapy Center in the epic Westport area of Kansas City. Great Oaks is built on the belief that growth happens best in community. That both clients and therapists thrive when they feel supported, seen, and continually growing.

What makes Great Oaks unique is that it’s more than a therapy practice; it’s also a training ground for emerging clinicians through our Launch program and a hub for professional therapist and leadership training through the Great Oaks Institute.

Every layer of what we do — from therapy to training to teaching — is rooted in the same values of authenticity, collaboration, and curiosity.

Our work is deeply relational. We take seriously the responsibility of walking alongside people as they heal, and we bring that same care to how we train the next generation of therapists. It’s been incredibly meaningful to build a space where learning, connection, and clinical excellence coexist.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What breaks the bonds between people is often disconnection. The slow drift that happens when fear, shame, or exhaustion take the place of curiosity and care. In therapy, in business, and in community, I’ve seen that rupture usually begins when people stop feeling seen, safe, or valued. We start protecting instead of connecting.
What restores those bonds is presence. It’s choosing to stay in relationship…with ourselves and each other…even when it’s messy or uncertain. At Great Oaks, we talk a lot about doing the brave work of repair: naming what’s hard, staying curious, and holding space for truth and grace to coexist. That’s true in our therapy rooms, in our training programs, and in how we lead. Healing and reconnection start when we remember that relationship itself is the work.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the defining wounds of my life has been living with complex PTSD. For a long time I thought healing meant “fixing” myself. Reaching some finish line where the pain would be gone. Over time, and through my work as a therapist, I’ve come to understand healing differently.

Healing isn’t about being perfectly whole; it’s about showing up. It’s allowing ourselves to rest when we need to, to tend to our parts with compassion, and then to keep coming back to the work of living, loving, and connecting-to ourselves and to others. For me, healing has looked like practicing self-leadership, building safe community, and holding space for my humanity while I help others hold space for theirs. It’s an ongoing, imperfect process – and that, in itself, is where the beauty lies. It the raw. In the mess. In the humanness.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
The cultural value I protect at all costs is authenticity in relationship. At Great Oaks, we don’t perform connection. We practice it. That means telling the truth, staying curious when it would be easier to retreat, and choosing repair over resentment.

In a field that can easily drift toward perfectionism or performance, I care deeply about creating spaces where people can be real. Where therapists, interns, and clients alike are allowed to be human. Integrity in relationship is the foundation of everything we do. Without it, the work loses its soul.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
Yes, absolutely. I can honestly say I’ve built a career that makes me “tap dance to work.” I feel incredibly lucky to have found what feels like my calling. Every part of my work, from sitting with clients, to mentoring new therapists, to building programs and training others, feels deeply aligned with who I am and what I value.

I learned early on that I’m not someone who thrives on sameness. I would be bored doing the same thing every day, so I’ve intentionally created a career that lets me do many things: teach, lead, create, and still stay grounded in the heart of therapy. No two days look alike, and that’s what keeps me energized and grateful. I don’t take it for granted that I get to do work that feels both meaningful and alive. I recognize the privilege I carry, and my hope is that I use it for the good of others — just as much, if not more, than for my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.greatoakstherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatoakstherapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatoakstherapy
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/great-oaks-therapy-center-kansas-city?osq=great+oaks+therapy

Image Credits
Jaime Russell, Anthem Photography https://www.anthem-photo.com/about/