If you’ve found yourself here, you may be wondering a little bit about who I am and what I can offer you…

Simply put, none of us are immune to life's challenges and transitions and we also don't come with instructions on how to navigate these. Our healing journeys aren’t linear, but we have to choose to do the work— to choose to acknowledge our pain or suffering so we can release its power, to confront what isn’t or hasn’t been working, to accept that change is a necessary part of life, to do the hard work of self-acceptance. AND we don’t have to do any of this totally alone. It can feel vulnerable, because it is. But (as cheesy as it sounds) in our vulnerability, we discover truth, hope, courage, and connection. It’s in the space of connection where we heal. It’s in this space where I come in….

 

Qualifications/credentials

  • BA in Psychology

  • Masters in Social Work, Clinical Concentration

  • Masters in Public Health, Concentration in Health Promotion and Behavior

  • LCSW in the state of NC, License #C013156 and NY #094744

  • RYT-2oo (registered yoga teacher)

  • SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner)

  • More on relevant additional trainings here

 

Meet melissa

This is usually the part where people expect to hear about education, training and experience and while I do think that’s important, mostly for ethical reasons and standards, I don’t think it’s the most important part (but you can read more about mine here). In fact, research and anecdotal evidence tells us the therapeutic relationship is the best predictor of outcomes. I approach the therapeutic process as an ever evolving client-centered relationship, one built on trust, attunement and compassion. I believe the best therapists infuse their own humanity into the process, because after all, we are navigating this complex experience of being human too. In addition to my skills and training, I also bring my own lived experience as someone who is dedicated to their own self-study and has been on (and still is) on the other side of the couch.

I take an integrative mind-body approach, meaning I see each client as a unique individual and we will explore different avenues of healing together beyond and in addition to traditional talk therapies— we invite the body to be a part of the process, utilizing our own physiology and neurobiology to support healing. I believe that in order to treat the symptoms, it’s helpful to address the underlying issue(s); meaning we will get curious and dig deep together in our own time to discover the root of the issue so that this can create lasting change. I work with you to co-create an experience where no matter who you are or what you have gone through, you are invited to transform your relationship to self, others and the world through our supportive work together. My hope is that, even though it won’t necessarily always feel good, the process ultimately feels like a (re)discovering, a “homecoming” of sorts. My office is currently mostly virtual and available to residents of both North Carolina and New York, with an in person option located in Asheville, NC.

In my free time, you can find me doing my best to practice what I preach and teach— resting + honoring my capacity, spending quality time outside and/or with my people, reading five different books at a time very slowly, studying and attending trainings to satiate my own curiosity of the human condition (forever student), or re-defining what it means to be a cool cat lady.

My specialties include