about michelle
Photo Credit: Debbie Zeitman | LA Women’s March, 2018
Michelle Fiordaliso, MSW is a psychotherapist and executive coach who has been committed to human growth and development for nearly thirty years. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from New York University. In 1994, while working on the AIDS unit of Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village, she was appointed clinical director of one of the first women’s AIDS clinic in the country—she was twenty-one years old and it was the peak of the AIDS pandemic. She went onto acquire extensive experience with birth, death and other major life transitions by being a first responder crisis intervention counselor after 9/11, a birth doula, a death doula, a reiki master, a certified nutritional consultant and a licensed marriage officiant. So much exposure to life and death at such an early age gave her an invaluable and unprecedented education.
In her work as an executive coach, Michelle has worked with c-suite executives and administrators at major companies and institutions including Nike, Uber, A&E and the VA Hospital. From 2015-2018 she was the in-house executive coach (think Wendy Rhoades on Billions without the stilettos) and VP of Marketing at FastPay, a Fintech company where she coached the CEO/Founder since its inception in 2009.
As a writer, Michelle co-authored Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Ex (Sourcebooks, 2009) as well as ghost writing and/or editing many other published books. Her writing has earned her numerous awards including a PEN Center USA award for literary fiction. She is one of under 10 writers to have been published twice in the Modern Love column of The New York Times. Her writing has also been featured in other national publications including The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post and Self. And she has appeared as a relationship expert and coach on Today, Tyra, Oprah Radio with Gayle King, Leeza Gibbons, KTLA and more.
The Streets Are Ours, the short documentary she directed about world-renowned Pakistani activist Sabeen Mahmud, won five awards including the Gold Plaque for Best Documentary Short at The Chicago International Film Festival.
In her life, Michelle recovered from a stroke at 27, was a licensed skydiver, ran the Los Angeles marathon at age 45, walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain and raised a 19-year-old son who now attends college in NYC.
Testimonials
Having worked with dozens of therapists and coaches in my adult life, the serendipity of meeting Michelle Fiordaliso on a plane in 2009 just one month before launching my company and then having the great fortune of benefitting from her coaching methods for the past decade has been the #1 contributing factor to the success of my business. No one can synthesize psychology, philosophy, western and eastern medicine and modern culture the way Michelle can, and the results are astonishing. The world would be a MUCH better place if there were a way everyone could experience her teachings and processes.
Jed Simon | CEO/Founder, FastPay
In addition to providing wise counsel on my own book projects and general writing process, Michelle's brilliant work has been a constant source of inspiration and motivation. I can’t recommend her writing, and her general approach to life, highly enough.
Annie Jacobsen | 5x New York Times Bestselling Author and 2016 Pulitzer Prize Finalist | Writer/Producer Jack Ryan
Michelle Fiordaliso is one of the wisest women I know. She continually grows as a human and is so generous in supporting others on all sorts of journeys. She gives the best advice—I don’t take anyone else’s!
Kirston Mann | Costume Designer, The Good Place, Brooklyn 99 and Parks and Recreation
Michelle was a perfect career coach for me. She listened, she heard, she spoke from her heart and she suggested innovative techniques to help me find myself. If it were not for Michelle’s guidance I would not be where I am now. My process involved shedding a home, belongings, a marriage and a successful career. Our work together put me on a course that feels authentic and aligned—a state that felt impossible, is now possible.
Allison Case | Flourish Integral Health
Working with Michelle brought so much clarity and organization to my thoughts. She constantly challenged me to think bigger and outside the box. She also did a great job of getting me out of my own way, when things seemed too daunting.
Sarah Armand | Business and Operations Strategy, Makers
I run a private healing/meditation studio in Los Angeles and host high profile clients from the entertainment industry as well as creatives, artists and writers. Michelle Fiordaliso is a force to be reckoned with. She maintains a personal set of values, ethics and morals, which are unwavering. These solid roots combined with her insights and capacity for compassion draw many people to seek her advice and counsel. People trust their soul to Michelle and they are wise to do so as she helps them on their path to healing. Michelle has led countless people to my studio, from all over the world. The reach of her influence is enormous. She extends energy to anyone she can help, and receives an abundance of grace, and success in return.