- Focus on actionable skills
- Combines therapy and breathwork
- Ten years experience
About Melissa
Melissa brings direct experience from a decade of active-duty service in the U.S. Navy. That background shaped her attention to structure, clear communication, and practical coping skills. She also led drug and alcohol program work and supported sexual assault advocacy while in service.
Her work combines evidence-based therapies with mind-body practices. Melissa uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to identify unhelpful thinking and build new coping skills. She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Attachment-Based ideas to help clients clarify values and improve emotional connection.
Sessions may include breathing exercises, body-scan meditation, or restorative yoga techniques alongside talk therapy. Melissa emphasizes that the client knows their story best and that therapy is a collaborative process. She aims to help people build insight, steady routines, and practical strategies to meet their goals.
Melissa works in Missouri and holds LPC credentials in both Michigan and Missouri. She lives with her husband, four children, and her pug, Miss Pearl, and brings that down-to-earth perspective into her clinical work.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Credentials
Michigan, Missouri
Languages
English
How therapeutic approaches guide online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice thoughts without getting stuck in them and identify what matters most so they can act toward those values. It can be useful for anxiety, low motivation, and coping with change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people spot unhelpful thinking patterns and practice new ways of reacting; it is often used for depression, anxiety, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships, which can help with intense emotions and impulsive behaviors.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to match methods to goals, needs, and personal preferences. Together they will try strategies, notice what helps, and adjust the plan as progress unfolds.
Confirm the current session options before booking to know which online formats are available. Online therapy can make it easier to keep regular appointments, fit sessions into a busy schedule, and practice skills between meetings. It can also allow shorter check-ins when needed or reduce travel time on workdays. Licensed professionals use these formats to help people maintain momentum and apply new skills in everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Melissa help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, low self-esteem, and depression, plus related concerns such as abandonment, body image, chronic illness, and communication problems.
What is her therapy style like?
Her approach blends clear, practical skill-building with talk therapy and mind-body methods like breathing and body-scan exercises.
What experience does she bring?
Melissa has ten years of clinical experience and ten years of active-duty service in the U.S. Navy, including roles in drug and alcohol program advising and sexual assault advocacy.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with Michigan LPC and Missouri LPC credentials, and she practices in Missouri.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Melissa?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Before you get in touch
Therapists listed here offer talking therapy online. A profile is not a diagnosis of you or of anyone in your life, and no therapist can promise how a relationship will turn out.
If you are in danger, or someone is hurting or threatening you, contact emergency services or a domestic-abuse helpline. The numbers are at the foot of this page.