- Practical strategies
- Compassionate listening
- Goal focused
About Melissa
Melissa Simonson is a licensed counselor who draws on five years of clinical experience to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, trauma, and low self-esteem. She practiced as a teacher and school administrator for 15 years before moving into counseling, and she brings that practical background to sessions. Melissa is licensed in Maryland as an LCPC and holds an LPC in Virginia.
Her sessions focus on clear, respectful conversation and practical steps clients can try between meetings. She listens for what matters most to each person, then tailors the plan to fit their situation. Many clients work on things like attachment concerns, blended family tensions, control issues, forgiveness, guilt, and rebuilding self-love.
Melissa aims to create a calm and compassionate space for people to speak honestly. She emphasizes collaboration and helps clients notice small changes that add up over time. Her prior education work informs how she explains ideas and sets achievable goals.
People often begin by naming the most urgent stressors. From there Melissa helps identify skills and actions to reduce overwhelm and improve daily functioning. She supports those coping with trauma symptoms and mood struggles by pacing work so it feels manageable.
Her approach balances practical problem solving with attention to emotional healing. The focus is on helping clients gain confidence, improve relationships in their life, and move toward clearer, steadier mood and behavior.
Approaches that guide online sessions
Melissa uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques focused on practical change and emotional healing. One common approach emphasizes skill building for stress and anxiety, teaching breathing and coping strategies, problem-solving, and daily routines that reduce overwhelm. This approach helps when symptoms interfere with work, parenting, or school responsibilities.Another area of focus is trauma-informed care, which moves at a steady, paced rhythm so people can process difficult memories without becoming overwhelmed. This method helps those dealing with past abuse or post-traumatic stress by combining grounding skills with gradual work on painful memories.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist works collaboratively with each person to test methods, adapt techniques, and decide which combination fits their needs, goals, and preferences. Clients have input on pacing and priorities throughout treatment.
Confirm current session options before booking since formats were not specified in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, reduce travel time, and provide consistent check-ins during hectic weeks. It also allows for shorter or more frequent brief sessions when that better supports maintaining progress.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Maryland, Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Melissa help with?
She supports people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, low self-esteem, and depression. Additional areas include attachment concerns, blended family issues, control problems, and grief over divorce or separation.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is practical and collaborative. She listens carefully, sets achievable goals, and offers clear steps clients can try between sessions.
What experience does she bring?
Melissa has five years of clinical counseling experience and spent 15 years in education as a teacher and administrator before becoming a counselor.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She holds LCPC in Maryland and LPC in Virginia and practices from Maryland for regional work.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.