About Melissa
Melissa Wooden is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Virginia. She focuses on stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, self esteem, and depression. Melissa uses straightforward, respectful care to help people facing these struggles.
Her approach blends Client-Centered Therapy with practical techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She listens first, then helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and build new skills. Sessions are interactive and focused on real-life changes rather than jargon.
How Melissa works
Melissa also draws on Motivational Interviewing to support people wrestling with drug and alcohol addiction or motivation to change. That style helps people weigh options and find their own reasons to move forward. Solution-Focused ideas are used to set small, achievable goals that add up over time.
She has three years of experience working in the mental health field. During that time she has helped people with communication problems, guilt and shame, isolation and loneliness, and questions about life purpose. She also works with mood disorders, obsessions and compulsions, and social anxiety.
Sessions are tailored to each person’s needs and paced according to what feels manageable. Melissa aims to be warm and nonjudgmental while offering tools people can use between sessions. She supports people who are ready to take practical steps toward feeling better.
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
- Addictions
- Anger management
Also listed
Training and background
| Register | LPC |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 3 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Virginia |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person without judgment. In online sessions this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, reflects what she hears, and helps the person feel understood before moving forward. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts affect feelings and behavior. Online CBT typically includes identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, practicing new responses, and using short exercises between sessions to build skills for anxiety, mood struggles, and obsessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, emphasizes emotion regulation and coping skills. It can help when anger, intense mood swings, or compulsive behaviors interfere with daily life by teaching practical strategies for managing strong feelings. Finding the right approach is part of the work. Melissa will talk with the client about goals, try techniques, and adjust methods based on what actually helps. That collaborative process aims to match skills and strategies to each person’s situation. Online formats offer practical flexibility. Video calls let therapists and clients use visual cues and work through exercises together. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging support brief check-ins, skill practice, or messaging between longer sessions. These options help people fit therapy into a busy life and keep momentum between meetings.Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Book with MelissaWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
What concerns does Melissa commonly address?
What is her therapy style like?
How much experience does she have?
What credentials and location are listed?
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
What session formats are available?
How is cost 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.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. Entries are not assessed or endorsed by this directory.
Other entries for stress, anxiety
Supportive LCSW helping people build strength and clarity
Practical, trauma-aware therapy for everyday life
Practical, relational therapy for life transitions