About Melissa
Melissa Sonthonax is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in Florida. She brings a decade of experience helping people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, and difficulties with self-esteem and life changes. Melissa also supports people dealing with addiction, anger, and career or purpose questions.
She works in English and offers sessions through video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging. Melissa uses a client-focused style to build practical strengths.
How Melissa works
She helps people set clear, manageable goals and practices small behavior changes that add up over time. Sessions emphasize real-world steps - things people can try between meetings to feel safer and more capable. Her approach draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and on mindfulness exercises to reduce moment-to-moment anxiety.
She also uses narrative methods to help people reframe stories they tell about themselves and motivational interviewing to support change around addiction or habit work. Melissa designs individualized plans for each person she sees. That means walking through specific challenges, testing strategies, and adjusting the plan when needed.
People can expect a direct but compassionate guide who focuses on what helps in daily life. Over ten years in the field have included work with a range of anxiety presentations, panic attacks, communication and attachment issues, codependency, and recovery from substance use. Her goal is to help people build confidence, stronger relationships, and clearer direction in life.
Melissa lists 6 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
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LMHC |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 10 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Florida |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that guide online sessions
Melissa often uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a supportive, nonjudgmental space where people can discuss what matters most to them and set their own priorities. This approach helps when someone wants to be heard and to build confidence in their own choices.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to spot and change thinking patterns that feed anxiety and depression. CBT sessions focus on practical skills and homework tasks that reduce panic, social anxiety, or low mood over time.
Mindfulness Therapy is another tool she brings into sessions to help people notice stressful thoughts without getting swept up in them. Mindfulness exercises can be useful for managing everyday worry and for calming the body during panic moments.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. Melissa works collaboratively with each person to choose and adapt methods based on goals, needs, and what feels most helpful. She checks in regularly and adjusts the plan as people try things and report what does or does not work.
Online formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - let people fit therapy into busy lives. Video is useful for deeper conversational work, phone can be lower-bandwidth, live chat and messaging allow short check-ins or ongoing written reflection. These options offer flexibility for scheduling, quick follow-ups, and different ways to practice skills between sessions.
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Common questions
What kinds of concerns does Melissa help with?
What is her therapeutic style like?
What is her background and experience?
What credentials does she hold and where is she located?
Which languages are offered and are international clients supported?
What session formats are available for online work?
How are costs handled for sessions?
How do I begin working with her?
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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