Melissa Harper

I am a licensed clinical professional counselor who has seven years of private practice experience. I have a Masters of Science in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University. I've had the priviledge of helping individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, traumatic stress disorder, varying mood and behavioral disorders and life transition.

As a certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist, I support individuals through the often complex emotional landscape of fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting. These seasons can bring profound changes—and sometimes, unexpected emotional challenges. It’s important to know that perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are common, treatable, and not your fault.

You are not alone, and you can feel like yourself again.

Together, we’ll explore what’s getting in the way of your peace—whether it’s overwhelming stress, sadness, intrusive thoughts, or the mental load of balancing it all. With evidence-based therapy, compassion, and a collaborative spirit, we’ll build strategies that help you feel more grounded, connected, and confident in this chapter of your life.

Every woman, every family, and every journey is unique. You already carry so much wisdom within you—I’m here to help you reconnect with it, one step at a time.

I use evidence-based treatment modalities, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused interventions , acceptance and commitment and family structural techniques. I am multiculturally affirming LGBGTQ+ affirming, and neurodiversity affirming.

Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and begin understanding what brings you to therapy. We'll talk about what's been happening in your life, what prompted you to seek support now, and what you're hoping to gain from our work together.

I'll likely ask questions about your current concerns, your personal history, relationships, mental and physical health, and any previous experiences with therapy. You're always welcome to share at your own pace. If there are topics you're not ready to discuss, that's okay—we can come back to them when you feel comfortable.

We'll also review practical information such as confidentiality, its legal and ethical limits, scheduling, cancellation policies, and any questions you have about the therapy process.

By the end of the session, we'll begin identifying your goals for therapy and discuss how we might work together to help you move toward them. While some people leave the first session feeling relieved or hopeful, others may feel emotionally tired or uncertain. All of those reactions are normal.

Therapy is a collaborative process. My role is to provide a supportive, nonjudgmental space, offer clinical guidance, and work alongside you as we explore challenges, build on your strengths, and help you make meaningful changes over time.