Melissa has been a Mental Health Counselor for over 20 years. Over time, her work has centered on a simple truth: meaningful change happens when people feel safe enough to slow down, be honest, and understand themselves more clearly. Therapy with Melissa is grounded, thoughtful, and direct—offering a steady space for real exploration without judgment or pressure.

Melissa works with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, relational challenges, and long-standing patterns shaped by early experiences. She has a particular interest in helping people who feel emotionally overwhelmed, stuck in reactivity, or disconnected from their inner sense of direction. Rather than focusing on quick fixes, her approach emphasizes clarity, emotional awareness, and developing a more intentional relationship with oneself.

Her style is compassionate but honest. Melissa is known for being direct, engaged, and attuned, offering clear feedback while maintaining respect for each client’s pace and experience. Sessions often integrate emotional insight, cognitive understanding, and attention to how stress and patterns show up in the body. Humor may appear when appropriate, but the work itself is taken seriously.

Melissa believes therapy is not about becoming someone new, but about shedding patterns that no longer serve and learning to live with greater steadiness, self-trust, and clarity. She offers a collaborative, grounded approach for clients who are ready to look inward and do meaningful, thoughtful work.

Credentials:
Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor, #MH13464
Qualified Supervisor for Registered Interns
Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst, #0-21-12444
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) Certification

Experienced in:
Abuse, Anxiety, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Coaching, Co-Dependency, Coping Skills, Coping with Life Changes, Couples (in person or virtually), Couples with Intimacy Issues, Depression, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Family problems, Families with adults only (in person or virtual), Fertility Issues, Grief and Loss, Infidelity, LGBTQ, Marital Issues, Mindfulness, Parenting issues, Parents who are aging, Perinatal Mental Health, PTSD, Self-Esteem, Self-Harm, Self-Love, Spanish Speaking, Stress, Substance abuse, Suicidal Ideation, Teenagers (in person or virtual), Trauma, Trauma Processing, Women’s issues, Young Adult Issues

Clinical approaches:
Applied Behavior Analysis, Client-Centered Therapy, Coaching, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT), Gottman Techniques, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Clinical Supervision for Licensees

Style:
Authentic, Direct, Educational, Empowering, Fun, Funny, Good with tough conversations and feedback, Give homework, Honest, Insight-Oriented, Nonjudgmental, Open, Relaxed, Warm

Years of Experience: Since 2005