Licensed to practice in Illinois and accepts 34 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Coping Skills, Life Transitions
Melissa Buckley
(she/her)
Clients say this provider is
About me
Hi, I’m Mel B! I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Aurora University, and I specialize in helping young adults aged 18-30 manage anxiety and feel more in control of their lives. I work with anxiety related to college life, dating, relationships, making big "adult" decisions, and major life transitions. I also help clients build routines, coping skills, and self-care practices that are realistic and sustainable. My approach is warm, laid-back, and practical—focused on mindset shifts, emotional regulation, and tools you can use in everyday life rather than overly clinical therapy. I enjoy working with talkative, motivated, quirky/humorous and insightful young adults who want support that feels genuine, encouraging, and empowering. Outside of sessions, I’m a wife, a cat mom of three, a Swiftie, and a caffeine lover who believes therapy should feel supportive, relatable, and even a little fun.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session together, we'll spend time getting to know each other. I want to learn about you: your story, strengths, supports, interests, things that are important to you, and what you're looking and not looking for in a therapist. We'll explore what's led to your decision to start or resume therapy and what your goals and visions for your empowerment journey are. By the end of our time together, we'll decide if we're a good fit and if we want to move forward with working together.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
One thing I'm particularly excited about is assisting you in healing in a way that's 100% tailored to you. Our time together won't feel like regular therapy—I value building genuine connections with my clients so much; you'll truly feel like you're part of a dynamic and fabulous duo. We'll laugh, cry, and share so many victories together. I literally get chills as my clients progress and reach their goals.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I’m here for you: the fun, caring, and motivated young adult who is ready and excited to bring real change and healing in your life.
Specialties
Top specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Life Transitions
Identifies as
Hispanic / Latinx
White
Woman
Serves ages
Adults (18 to 64)
Licensed in
Illinois
Accepts
Aetna
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Anthem
Independence Blue Cross
Independence Administrators
Arlo
AvMed
Cash - $95 per session
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
Evernorth
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
Tufts Health/Cigna
UMR - Advocate Aurora Health
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
Location
Virtual
My treatment methods
Person-centered (Rogerian)
First and foremost, I see you as a person with unlocked and unlimited potential, not someone who is damaged goods. I use person-centered therapy to help you find your strengths, interests, and solutions to face your challenges head-on. You have more answers than you think- I'm here to help you find them and apply them.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to help clients notice and challenge anxious or unhelpful thoughts that may be keeping them stuck. Together, we work on reframing those thoughts into ones that feel more realistic, balanced, and supportive. I also help clients identify thinking errors—those sneaky, unhelpful thought patterns that literally all humans fall into from time to time, especially when anxiety is involved. My goal is to help you better understand your mind, feel more in control of your thoughts, and build healthier ways of responding to stress and anxiety in everyday life.
10 ratings with written reviews
March 26, 2026
I love working with Melissa! She’s so nice and welcoming and makes me feel heard :) I always look forward to meeting with her
Verified client, age 25-34
March 9, 2026
She is very warm and made me feel comfortable. And I had no problems opening up myself.
Verified client, age 45-54
December 12, 2025
Melissa's is a very understanding person and I'm gonna love to coming to her about any and everything:). We're gonna have so much fun:D