Hi, I’m Melissa

MEET YOUR COUNSELOR

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia. With a Masters of Education in Counseling from Virginia Tech, I am a proud Hokie. My clinical mental health experience runs the gamut from counseling college students to leading groups in a substance abuse clinic to counseling individuals in private practice. I love individual sessions and love the processes inherent in group therapy. Most of all, I love witnessing the changes my clients make in their lives when they commit to the process of counseling.

I specialize in the treatment of trauma, life transitions, stress, grief, and anxiety-related disorders.

Some of the modalities you will become familiar with through my work are: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused-Brief therapy (SFBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR). I also incorporate mindfulness and somatic experiencing (SE) tools to help you process the totality of your human experience.

I believe that all good counseling is spiritual in nature. No matter what evidence-based modality we use, the therapeutic process will deepen your connection to your core Self. After counseling sessions with me, you will feel more whole, more connected, more grounded, and more like yourself.

You will feel home.

  • "THE CAVE YOU FEAR TO ENTER HOLDS THE TREASURE YOU SEEK".

    — JOSEPH CAMPBELL

  • "NOW EVERY TIME I WITNESS A STRONG PERSON, I WANT TO KNOW: WHAT DARK DID YOU CONQUER IN YOUR STORY? MOUNTAINS DO NOT RISE WITHOUT EARTHQUAKES."

    — KATHERINE MACKENNETT

  • "YOUR VISIONS BECOME CLEAR WHEN YOU LOOK INTO YOUR OWN HEART. WHO LOOKS OUTSIDE, DREAMS; WHO LOOKS INSIDE, AWAKENS."

    — CARL JUNG

How it all started

WHY I LOVE THIS JOB

I got my Masters of Education in Counseling after stumbling on the modern-day fact that there are not enough counselors and therapists to fill the current need. At the time, this situation deeply affected my family. We waited months before receiving the proper treatment from the right clinicians. Now I am part of the solution by being in the field myself.

I am passionate about advancing mental health & wellness through personalized treatment. My conceptualization of treatment involves taking into account all of you, as a whole person, and collaborating closely to find the root cause of what brings you to counseling. Along the way, this might mean referrals for other specialists (i.e. psychiatrists, nutritionists, or acupuncturists, just to name a few). I take pride in providing evidence-based + integrative mental healthcare that empowers you to live as your best Self— because counseling changes lives.