Melanie Roque

My personality is warm yet direct, always leading with curiosity, grace, & non-judgment because I am not you & have no idea what it is like to walk in your shoes. I am passionate about this work & have seen it really change lives, including my own. I continue to do my own therapy & stay up to date on the most recent science & teachings so that I can live with integrity & embody that of what I am inviting & sharing with you.

My education includes a Masters in Arts of Counseling Psychology & a certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy working towards an additional licensure as a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist. I am a yogi & an artist & this often seeps into our sessions inevitably. I work mostly with women, non-binary, & queer folx. My specialities include trauma: childhood trauma, abusive relationships, & religious deconstruction. I also really enjoy working with those that struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, people pleasing, & building a strong sense of self.

A trauma survivor myself, I have lived experience of abuse & navigating mental health diagnoses. In my youth, I didn't have a trusted space or the vocabulary to talk about my experiences. I didn't realize it completely shaped the way I viewed myself, relationships, & the world. Fast forward to adulthood & many years of therapy under my belt, positive community process groups, & exploration of holistic approaches, I understand the profound importance & need for safe containers to witness & hold our stories & the deep healing that comes with it. This is why I do what I do. The first step is to be heard, seen, & validated in our truth. Then, we deconstruct how we got there so that we can rewire for growth, redemption, & a life that excites us.

People pleaser? Let's dig in. I lean less traditional & more integrative. My approach is attachment based, psychodynamic, & relational. We seek to understand how relationships, environments, & stories impact the way you function, see yourself, the world, & connect/disconnect from others. If we are wounded in relationship, we heal in SAFE relationship. I work from a lens that takes in the importance of power, culture, intersectionality, & collective experiences.

We can set goals & use practical strategies to work towards achieving them in our time together. We might also just see what it feels like to allow you to just come as you are without having to make progress & just be held in the therapeutic space. Most of the time that really is enough.

This may sound counterproductive but studies have shown that when we force or over structure "healing", it actually does the opposite. It can recreate or further deepen unhelpful cycles. We feel pressured & hurry ourselves & then it becomes stressful. Progress will occur naturally when a trusted relationship is built & we have choice, when you can go anywhere you want just because you want to. What needs to be addressed always surfaces when it needs to.

Clients have shared with me that they feel "more empowered & equipped" to face the challenges in their life during & after therapy. And that is exactly my hope for you. You are so capable of everything you envision for yourself. Everything. Sometimes we just need someone to help us remove the blocks that are in the way of us accessing those parts of ourselves, to be able to fully give & receive love. You can expect to feel more resourced & have a greater sense of compassion for the parts of you that you might want to cut off. You may be more connected to your truth, accessing your voice, & living in your "adult self."

I only take on clients that I feel I can genuinely connect with. I believe that therapy can be life giving in a reciprocal way, which inevitably can help clients on a more intimate level. My hope is that you will feel cared for, fought for, & gently nudged in the direction of freedom & choice.