Dr. Michelle Deering is a Mother-Daughter Relationship Expert, Psychologist, Speaker, & Best-Selling Author whose passion is educating, equipping, and encouraging moms and daughters to connect intentionally so they can transform their relationship with each other. She earned her B.A. degree in biology from Brown University, M. Ed. degree from Cambridge College, and her doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Rutgers University, where she conducted extensive research on race-related stress, coping, and adjustment.. Dr. Deering is a licensed clinical psychologist (NC & NJ) and board certified sport psychologist.

Her journey, though, began being the youngest of three daughters born to a Jamaican immigrant woman who became a single mom after fleeing her abusive husband.

While living in survival mode in the South Bronx, Michelle’s mother’s high expectations and low emotional support drove a wedge in their mother-daughter relationship. Michelle coped by focusing on her academics and athletics. However, while her achievement in these areas led her to earn her bachelors degree in biology from Brown University and her attain her doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Rutgers University, they didn’t overcompensate for the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse she endured from family members during her formative years.

It was those early years that became the backdrop for her life as a married mother of twin daughters. Despite her earnest attempts to “do differently” than her own mom, Michelle found herself unintentionally repeating mother-daughter relationship patterns laced in (“mommy”) guilt and fear.

When faced her behavior’s effect on one of her daughters, Michelle took matters more intentionally into her own hands by pausing to consider her own behavior and then making tailored strategic changes. This pivotal moment changed the trajectory of and transformed Michelle’s relationship with herself and her daughter.

Dr. Deering’s personal journey and over 15 years of professional experience of clinical practice in the mental health field is what birthed her best-selling book, What Mothers Never Tell Their Daughters: 5 Keys To Building Trust, Restoring Connection, & Strengthening Relationships (AAE Publishing, 2018) and her hit podcast, The Mom Stops Here™.

You can find Dr. Deering conducting online webinars, speaking at conferences and as a guest on a variety of podcasts and radio shows, and contributing as a writer on therapy and parent-related media outlets.