Marissa Melhuse

Great to meet you!

Starting therapy can feel intimidating, and that’s okay. My goal is to meet you where you are, with practical tools, fresh perspective, and steady, compassionate support.

I love working with people who are curious about themselves and ready to grow, including working professionals, couples, and families who want new tools, deeper insight, and healthier ways of relating to themselves and each other. I also support adults navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and recovery. Whatever brought you here, if you’re open to learning and trying something new, we’ll work well together.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) trained in EMDR, CBT and psychoanalysis with a background in intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs. That experience means I’m comfortable with whatever you bring into the room, from everyday overwhelm to deeper, more complex struggles. Before becoming a therapist, I spent 13 years as a high school educator, so I know firsthand what burnout and carrying other people’s needs can feel like.

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

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

I draw from evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR, and Motivational Interviewing. I tailor them to what resonates with you and what the research supports for your concerns.

For trauma, I often use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). It’s a structured, research-backed approach that helps reduce the emotional charge of painful memories, without requiring you to retell every detail again and again.

Sessions balance practical skill-building for what you’re facing now with deeper exploration of the patterns, beliefs, and experiences that may be quietly running the show. My style is direct but warm. I’ll name what I notice, ask the questions worth sitting with, and offer honesty alongside compassion.

Our first session, in person in San Juan Capistrano or via telehealth, is about getting to know you. That means not just the problem that brought you in, but the fuller picture of who you are and what you’ve been carrying.

We’ll talk through your background, what you’re experiencing now, and any past experiences with therapy. It’s a conversation, not an interrogation, and you set the pace. You don’t need the right words or a clear plan.

By the end of our first session, my goal is for you to feel heard and to leave with a clearer sense of where we’re headed.

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

I offer morning, evening and weekend appointments for clients balancing work and other commitments.