Therapy That Meets You Where You Are
Individual Therapy for Adults
Anxiety and depression are a spectrum, and can often look different for everyone. I mostly work with clients who feel as though they are stuck in an endless loop of overthinking, fear of uncertainty, and unfulfillment. This typically creates a cycle of avoidance, sitting on the sidelines and taking them away from what they value in life.
By identifying patterns and making gradual healthier changes, we work toward living in a way that aligns with your values and what matters most to you.
What to Expect
Together, we learn how to cope with the fear of “what if”, and how to honor our own voice instead of our fear. To do this, we identify techniques to change the way we respond to our thoughts, explore ways to start participating in more values-based behaviors, and practice treating ourselves with kindness, validation, and acceptance for our human experience.
My Approach
In my practice, I use ACT, CBT, DBT, and Person-Centered therapy. These approaches help us recognize and become aware of unhelpful thoughts, learn to tolerate uncomfortable emotions, and make changes in behavior that move you toward what you truly want in life, versus away from discomfort.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps individuals build a healthier relationship with their thoughts and emotions. Through this approach, they work on accepting difficult feelings without judgment, identifying personal values, and taking meaningful actions that align with those values. Rather than attempting to eliminate painful experiences, individuals develop skills such as mindfulness, cognitive defusion, and committed action, allowing them to live a more fulfilling and flexible life even when challenges arise.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps individuals understand the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It focuses on recognizing and challenging unhelpful thinking patterns, leading to healthier emotional responses. CBT also teaches practical skills like coping strategies and problem-solving to support greater control and resilience in daily life.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) helps individuals manage strong emotions, build healthier relationships, and create more balance in daily life. It focuses on four core skills: mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, promoting both acceptance and meaningful change.
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Person-Centered Therapy focuses on creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where individuals feel truly heard and understood. It is based on the belief that each person is the expert on their own life and possesses the inner strength to grow and heal. Through empathy, honesty, and unconditional positive regard, this approach supports individuals in reconnecting with their true selves and moving toward meaningful change at their own pace.
“I'm really grateful I found Melanie to be my therapist when I did. I had dealt with anxiety most of my life, but as a new mom I was really having a hard time. Melanie helped me to understand my anxiety, which I never really did before. Once I understood why it existed in my life I was able to apply some of the strategies Melanie taught me to reframe my perspective on things and feel a lot better -- and in more areas than just coping with anxiety. It also always amazed me how easy it was to open up to Melanie. Some weeks I'd go into a session not sure what I wanted to talk about, but we always ended up having a really productive conversation. She's easy to open up to and completely non judgmental, which is perfect -- especially for someone new to therapy. I had tried therapy in the past, but always felt like I was just talking at someone and not getting anything in return. Melanie will allow you to talk if you just want to talk, but she always came prepared as well. I was impressed at how much she remembered from our conversations and how much she seemed to truly care. I wholeheartedly recommend Melanie if you're looking for someone to talk to, as it truly helped me.”
— Client, JH
