Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle (Shelli) Law.
Hi Michelle (Shelli), we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey truly began with children. I started as a Child Life Specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, helping families navigate medical trauma. I also have several years of experience as a classroom teacher, and most recently developed the STEAM curriculum for Kindergarten and Primer at the DaVinci School here in Dallas. Those years taught me how early experiences can shape a person for a lifetime and planted the seed for everything I do now.
In 2020, I felt a strong calling to fully embrace psychology and deeper healing work. I became a certified Family Coach supporting parents of children who were newly diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and other learning differences, but I soon realized my passion was in long-term relational trauma. That led me to Wake Forest University to earn my Master’s in Counseling.
Today, at Corbella Counseling in Energy Square (located at 4849 Greenville Avenue, right off I-75 and across from the Park Cities and SMU), I focus on supporting survivors of narcissistic abuse and toxic relationships, including adult children raised in narcissistic family systems.
To clarify what narcissistic abuse actually is (because the term is often misused): it is a pattern of emotional and psychological manipulation where one person systematically erodes another’s sense of reality, worth, and identity. It manifests as gaslighting, intermittent reinforcement, silent treatment, blame-shifting, rage, love-bombing followed by devaluation, and a thousand subtle ways of making the target feel “crazy,” “too sensitive,” or “never enough.” Over time, it creates complex trauma, deep shame, and often total identity loss. Most of my clients spent years believing they were the problem before they ever heard the phrase “narcissistic abuse.”
That is why the healing groups I facilitate are so transformative. When survivors finally sit in a room with others who truly understand the complex and disorienting dynamics they endured, the relief is immediate. They hear “That happened to me too,” “I thought I was the only one,” and “You’re not crazy.” Being seen and believed after years of being told their reality didn’t exist often marks the first time they feel genuinely safe and seen again. In our healing groups, I offer a tailored blend of psychoeducation to help them name what happened, validation, and practical tools to rebuild boundaries, self-trust, and identity. People leave these groups standing taller, knowing they are not alone.
For the deeper trauma stored in the body (the chronic anxiety, the startle response, the guilt, the physical shame), I offer EMDR. EMDR helps the brain complete the processing it couldn’t do during the abuse. While clients focus on a painful memory or core belief, such as “I’m unlovable” or “I’m not safe,” we use bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones) to help the nervous system reprocess it. The memory remains, but the emotional charge diminishes significantly, often within just a few sessions. Suddenly, the past feels like the past, not something still happening. Clients tell me they finally sleep through the night, stop scanning rooms for threats, and can hear criticism without falling apart.
My own healing journey brought me here. For over a decade, Dr. Ramani Durvasula’s work was my lifeline after experiencing narcissistic abuse myself. For a milestone birthday, my supportive husband surprised me with a solo trip to London to train with her in a small group of therapists. It was an absolute dream come true. Learning from my personal hero (and seeing her again when she keynoteed the Crimes Against Women Conference here in Dallas this May) only strengthened my commitment.
Every part of my background (Child Life, teaching, family coaching, graduate training, and lived experience) comes together in this work. I truly believe this is my life path, and I am both honored and deeply committed to helping women right here in Dallas heal, reclaim their voice, and step back into their lives with confidence and joy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road was anything but smooth, and I’m grateful for every sharp turn because it brought me exactly here. I went back to graduate school at Wake Forest in my late 40s, with two kids already in college and one still in high school. I studied after the house was quiet, traveling to Wake Forest for week-long intensives, and kept going on very little sleep, too much coffee, and a whole lot of determination. Quitting was never an option.
When I walked into classrooms and discovered that most training on narcissistic abuse stops at the brief DSM-5 description of NPD, which tells almost nothing about the slow, insidious destruction survivors endure. People with narcissistic traits rarely seek help or even a diagnosis because they are convinced the problem is everyone else. We see the ones left shattered (the partners, the adult children, the ones gaslit into believing they are the problem). So, I spent an entire semester immersed in peer-reviewed research, compiled a comprehensive literature review, and presented it to my professors and classmates. To my surprise and gratitude, they were genuinely interested and hungry to understand more. They asked thoughtful questions, wanted additional resources, and several told me afterward that it completely shifted how they viewed relational trauma. I even found myself educating my own therapist on the deeper dynamics (she was open and appreciative, which meant the world to me). That experience only strengthened my resolve. I was determined to become the kind of counselor who truly gets it, because I understand narcissistic abuse implicitly, from the inside out.
In my work, I focus on Echo in the Greek myth from which narcissism gets its name, not Narcissus, which is why my Instagram is @emphasis.on.echo.counseling. My work is about giving voice to the one who was silenced, restoring worth to the one who was told she had none, and helping her finally set down the blame she was forced to carry. The road was exhausting and painful at times, but every doubt, every dismissive comment from the outside world, and every sleepless night only fueled my determination. Today, when a survivor sits across from me feeling broken and unworthy, I can look her in the eye and say, “I’ve been exactly where you are. I’ve heard those same words meant to keep me small. And I’m living proof that Echo gets to heal, speak, and thrive.” There is no greater honor than walking this path with other survivors.
(Please note: Narcissistic abuse survivors are not always women, but it is more statistically common and whom I tend to see most often. This is why I say “she” and “her,” but this is certainly not always the case.)
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Corbella Counseling, I specialize in supporting survivors of narcissistic abuse and toxic relationships, including partners and adult children of narcissistic family systems. I offer one-on-one therapy, EMDR for complex trauma, and small healing groups where survivors finally hear “That happened to me too” and feel truly seen for the first time in years, sometimes decades. We focus on understanding harmful patterns, calming the nervous system, rebuilding identity, and reclaiming their lives. What I’m most proud of and known for is seeing women who initially felt broken leave able to sleep through the night, set boundaries without guilt, start businesses, end toxic relationships, and find joy again. What sets me apart is my rigorous clinical training and a deep understanding of narcissistic abuse, combined with lived experience, all dedicated to empowering survivors.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The two qualities that are most important to me are empathy and intuition.
Empathy keeps me connected to my clients’ experiences, allowing me to walk alongside them. Having gone through similar feelings of confusion and shame, I can hold space for their pain with tenderness and without judgment.
Intuition is the ability to listen beyond words. After years of studying this dynamic and working with numerous survivors, I often sense the specific belief or memory that continues to cause them hurt, even before they are ready to express it. When I gently reflect this back to them, it assures them that they are truly seen and no longer alone. Clients often tell me that this combination makes them feel understood for the very first time. That is all I ever want for them: to feel safe, believed, and deeply cared for. Everything else flows from that foundation.
Pricing:
- $85/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.corbellacounseling.com
- Instagram: emphasis.on.echo.counseling
Image Credits
Photography by Abby Law
