About Melissa
Melissa Madriaga is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Wisconsin. She offers a calm, straightforward style and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, mood concerns, and difficulties around eating and self-image. Melissa aims to create a space where people feel heard and can start practical steps toward change.
She uses approaches drawn from client-centered work and cognitive behavioral therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors.
How Melissa works
Melissa also incorporates mindfulness and narrative techniques to help people make sense of their stories and the patterns that keep them stuck. Melissa earned a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University in 2015 and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Marian University in 2010.
She brings eight years of counseling experience and a background that includes work with incarcerated and unhoused populations and service in the United States Army Reserves. Her practice focuses on a broad range of concerns including stress, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, relationship and family issues, parenting strain, anger, and coping with life changes.
Additional areas she addresses include body image, abandonment, blended family issues, and veteran and armed forces issues. Sessions are offered in English and are available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Melissa’s work combines practical tools, conversational reflection, and small, achievable steps to help people move forward.
Melissa lists 4 ways of working on the entry:
What Melissa works with
The areas below are the ones Melissa selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Self esteem
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Parenting issues
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Register | LPC |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 8 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Wisconsin |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Using Talk, Tools, and Reflection Online
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s perspective. The therapist follows the person’s lead and helps clarify feelings and goals, which can be useful for stress, relationship concerns, and life transitions.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses simple exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors, which can help with anxiety, depression, and problematic eating patterns.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that fit the person’s style, and adjust plans together as needed. That collaborative work helps keep sessions practical and focused on what the client wants to change.
Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work when bandwidth is limited, live chat is useful for shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging lets people share thoughts between appointments. These options increase flexibility and help people keep therapy consistent around work, family, and daily demands.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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