Hi, I'm Melissa! I'm a licensed professional counselor who has spent years working with children and teens in schools, including kids on the autism spectrum, big behavioral challenges, anger, and the kind of anxiety that shows up as meltdowns or shutdowns. I carry trauma-focused training from a child advocacy center, and I'd love to help your family find some steadiness again.
In sessions, we start by understanding what's really driving the big feelings or tough behaviors, whether that's anxiety, anger, a hard experience, or just a lot happening at once. I use practical, structured tools, grounded in CBT and trauma-focused CBT, to help kids and teens build skills for managing emotions and reactions in the moment, not just talk about them afterward. For anyone carrying something painful from their past, I bring a trauma-informed approach that moves at your pace. I also work closely with parents and caregivers, because change sticks best when the whole family feels less alone in it.
Your first session with me is about getting to know each other, no pressure to have everything figured out already. We'll talk through what brought you in, what's felt hardest lately, and what you are hoping changes. From there, we'll build a plan together, one that fits your family's pace and your child's personality.
