Marissa Melhuse

Therapy can feel both humbling and intimidating — and that's okay. My goal is to meet you exactly where you are, offering practical tools, fresh perspectives, and compassionate support to help ease the weight of anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California, I bring experience across multiple levels of care, including intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, where I've worked with adults navigating some of life's most difficult chapters — including substance use and recovery, co-occurring mental health conditions, and the lasting effects of early trauma.

I work best with adults who are ready to do meaningful work — whether you're in early recovery, managing a mood or anxiety disorder, processing past trauma, or simply feeling stuck and ready for something to shift.

You don't have to have it figured out to start. Reaching out is enough.

My approach is collaborative, client-centered, and grounded in the belief that you are the expert on your own life. I'm here to offer structure, tools, and a nonjudgmental presence — not to hand you a script for how healing should look.

I draw from a range of evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Motivational Interviewing, integrating approaches based on what resonates with you and what the research supports for your specific concerns.

For clients navigating trauma, I incorporate EMDR — a structured, research-backed approach that works with the brain's natural processing to reduce the emotional charge of painful memories without requiring you to talk through every detail repeatedly.

Sessions are a balance of practical skill-building for what you're facing right now and deeper exploration of the patterns, beliefs, and experiences that may be quietly running the show beneath the surface. I tend to work in a direct but warm style — I'll name what I notice, ask the questions worth sitting with, and meet you with honesty as much as compassion.

The first session, either in person or via telehealth, is about getting to know you — not just the problem that brought you here, but the fuller picture of who you are and what you've been carrying.

We'll start by taking a history together, which may include exploring your background, current symptoms, mood, and any past experiences with therapy or treatment. This isn't an interrogation — it's a conversation, and you set the pace. You don't need to have the right words or know exactly what you want to say. Showing up is enough.

By the end of our first session, my goal is for you to feel heard, to have a clearer sense of what we're working toward, and to leave with at least a beginning sense of direction — not more confusion.

Some clients come in knowing exactly what they want help with. Others arrive exhausted and unsure where to even start. Both are completely welcome here.