LCSW, 12 years of experience
Thanks for stopping by I’m glad to see you are taking the steps to change your situation. I view myself as a change agent, I’m here to help you through the process. Almost all of us find areas in our lives in which we need guidance. I have been working to empower others for 18 years. In that time, I have worked in several settings including community mental health, inpatient psychiatric care, acute hospitals, and the public school system. My name is Melissa Hamilton, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I have extensive experience working with adults, families, at-risk youth, and adolescents. I earned a Doctorate in Social Work and master’s degrees in both Social Work and Public Health. I hold clinical licensure in Missouri and Illinois. My approach to therapy is that it should be used as a tool to provide the knowledge, help, and support needed to understand problems and develop skills to cope with them. I use Cognitive Behavioral techniques to help clients develop insight and new skills. In addition, I am experienced with trauma-informed practice, including trauma-focused CBT, as well as using mindfulness techniques. I lean towards the use of evidence-based interventions from diverse models to fit the needs of the individual so treatment can be tailored to fit your individual needs. My counseling experience includes mental health and wellness, self-care practices, health and behavioral health advocacy, interpersonal/family conflict and wellness, healthy relationships, children and adolescents, depression, grief and loss, stress, anxiety, crisis management, and anger management. My specialties are working with people struggling with depression, anxiety, anger issues, personal crises, and family relationship issues. I actively work to help clients feel supported and empowered throughout the therapeutic process. I look forward to this journey with you!
In our first session together, we will start with brief introductions, and then dive into the specific challenges you're facing. You can expect a little humor and lots of realness. This will help me create a tailored plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions. You are welcome to ask questions about the therapy process to assist with your comfort on what to expect on your journey.
Building rapport is my super power. Through my years of working I have a great ability to provide support and skills to assist with challenges and have the ability to address them.
I love working with individuals who are seeking change and want to learn more about themselves. My dream client is someone who is engaging and open to the therapeutic process.
CBT focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors. It operates on the principle that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and by changing one aspect, we can influence others. We will work on assessment, collaborative goal setting, cognitive restructuring, homework assignments, skill building, and assessing progress.