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Melissa Smith

Melissa Smith

LPC

Missouri

Compassionate counselor focused on change

Continue with Melissa

At a glance

Credentials
LPC
License
LPC, Missouri / 2017019228
Experience
23 years
Languages
English
Location
Missouri

Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.

    • Motivation focused
    • Practical coping skills
    • Warm listening approach

    About Melissa

    Melissa Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor practicing in Missouri with more than two decades of experience. She focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar mood concerns, and difficulties with motivation and self-esteem. Melissa aims to make sessions feel calm and direct so people can talk about what matters most to them.

    She creates a welcoming space where thoughts and feelings can be spoken without judgment. Sessions tend to be conversational and goal-minded. Melissa listens first, then helps people choose small, workable steps toward change.

    Her background includes long-term work supporting people with trauma, grief, addictions, and relationship troubles. She also addresses issues like caregiving strain, aging concerns, workplace stress, and feelings of emptiness or isolation. Over 23 years she has worked with a broad range of mood and life adjustments.

    Melissa draws on practical approaches to help people build coping skills and momentum. She uses techniques that encourage personal reflection, increase awareness of patterns, and promote clearer choices. Many people find this mix useful when they need both understanding and action.

    In early contacts Melissa helps each person set clear goals and a way to measure progress. She supports people through changes such as parenting challenges, career shifts, recovery work, and repairing intimacy. Her style blends listening with practical planning so clients leave sessions with something to try.

  2. How Melissa’s approaches translate to online work

    Melissa uses Motivational Interviewing to help people find and strengthen their own reasons to change, often by exploring values and small steps that feel doable. Client-Centered Therapy guides the tone of sessions, focusing on careful listening and reflecting what matters most to the person. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, when used, breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and offers concrete tools for coping and behavior change.

    Finding the right approach is usually a team effort. Melissa will work with each person to pick methods that match their goals and preferences, adjusting the mix as progress or new needs emerge. The aim is to be collaborative rather than prescriptive so people feel involved in planning their next steps.

    The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - shorter check-ins can be scheduled during a lunch break, calls avoid commuting, and sessions can be joined from different locations when needed. Licensed professionals tailor session pacing and tools so practical problems like sleep, work stress, parenting demands, or caregiving strain can be addressed without upending a daily routine.

  4. Areas of expertise

    Primary focus

    Stress, AnxietySelf esteemBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changes

    Also works with

    AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

    Additional focus areas

    Aging and geriatric issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyEmptinessForgivenessGuilt and shameIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMood disordersPost-traumatic stressWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

    Therapeutic approaches

    Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

    Experience

    23+ years

    Listed in

    Missouri

    Languages

    English

  5. Frequently asked questions

    What issues does Melissa commonly help with?

    She works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar mood concerns, and motivation and self-esteem problems, plus trauma, addictions, grief, relationship and parenting struggles.

    What is her approach in sessions?

    Sessions are conversational and collaborative, combining Motivational Interviewing with client-centered listening, CBT strategies, mindfulness, and some psychodynamic insight to guide change.

    How much clinical experience does she have?

    Melissa has 23 years of professional experience working in counseling and related settings.

    What credentials and location are listed?

    She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, practicing in Missouri.

    Can people meet with her in other languages or from other countries?

    Sessions are offered in English only and she does not accept international clients at this time.

    What session formats are available?

    The original profile does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.

    How does pricing work for sessions?

    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?

    Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

  6. Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers

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Melissa Smith Continue with Melissa