Dr. Melissa Belanger

I'm a licensed psychologist in Hawaii specializing in anxiety, grief, sleep disorders, and the particular weight that comes with trying to hold everything together. I work most often with adults — especially women — who are navigating major life transitions, loss, or the quiet accumulation of chronic stress that eventually becomes hard to ignore. I practice on the Windward side of Oahu and offer telehealth throughout Hawaii, so wherever you are on island, we can work together. I accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii, Cigna, Aetna, and Carelon Behavioral Health, so care that actually fits your schedule and budget is genuinely possible.

My approach is collaborative and evidence-based — meaning I'm not going to give you a worksheet and call it a session. I draw primarily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based techniques, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) for sleep concerns. I adapt my approach based on what's actually useful for you, not a predetermined protocol. Sessions feel more like a focused, honest conversation than a checklist. I'll challenge you when it's helpful, sit with you when it's not, and always be working toward what you came here for.

Your first session is a real conversation, not an intake form read back to you. We'll talk about what's been going on, what you've already tried, and what kind of support actually sounds helpful to you. I'll ask questions, share some initial thoughts, and by the end we'll have a sense of whether we're a good fit and what working together might look like. You don't need to have it all figured out before you show up — most people don't. The best availability for telehealth sessions is typically weekday early evenings, which works well for Hawaii-based clients on flexible or remote schedules.