Licensed to practice in Florida and accepts 38 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Life Transitions, Self Esteem and 8 more.
(she/her)
Often rebooked
Hello! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Nurse. I have over 20 years experience as a licensed clinician working with adolescents, children, and adults in various settings. I bring a holistic approach to my work with clients integrating the mind and body and believe in providing activities and resources for you to use outside our sessions. I truly listen and tailor my interventions and strategies to who you are and your unique needs. I have worked with conditions such as anxiety, depression, suicidality, self harm, grief, relationships, parenting struggles, ADHD, and emotional regulation.
In our first session, we will review your goals for therapy, background information, and what days and times are available. I provide an overview of my approach to therapy and invite you to ask me questions to determine if we are the best fit. Finding a therapist is an important decision and the therapeutic relationship is the most important foundation for your healing journey whether that is me or someone else.
With my dual license in nursing and clinical social work, I bring a unique perspective and holistic approach to your healing journey, exploring physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of your life. I provide resources for practical use including podcasts, written materials, music recommendations, YouTube videos and books depending on your preference. I focus on teaching practical skills that can be used across multiple aspects of your life and are designed to help break you out of old cycles and habits, enhance presence and awareness, improve tolerance of distress and emotions, and in general, help you move through life with more ease, grace and flow.
My ideal clients are open to exploring the current thoughts, emotions, strengths, spiritual practices, and behaviors to enhance their day to day life. Typically my clients are on a journey of self discovery, have identified behaviors they recognize are no longer serving them and want to make lasting changes. Clients will be open to implementing meditation, mindfulness, and creating daily intentional practices. Goals include learning to regulate and tolerate emotions, strategies for changing behaviors and thoughts, and willingness to take responsibility and ownership of behaviors, reactions, and choices.
Cash - $100 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Amerihealth Administrators
Anthem
Arlo
AvMed
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Evernorth
Florida Blue
Golden Rule
GTEB
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
Tufts Health/Cigna
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
I have used CBT for the past 23 years to help individuals identify how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. We then use this information to create new and helpful ways of coping with stress, anxiety, depression, negative thinking and suicidality.
In my 23 years of experience, I have learned and used a variety of therapy techniques with adults, and adolescents wanting to learn more effective means of coping with anxiety, depressions, grief, suicidality, negative self image, and emotional dysregulation. Today, I draw concepts from those techniques to create an approach tailored to individual strengths, challenges, and goals including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Bereavement Therapy, Trauma Informed therapy, Neuro-linguistic Programming, Mind Body Approach, Psychoanalytic, Play Therapy, Strength based and many others.
I received several trainings in DBT and utilized concepts with children and adolescents on an inpatient crisis stabilization unit. I currently use many of the concepts in my day to day therapy with adolescents and adults.
I worked as a Child Bereavement Specialist with Community Hosptice and provided bereavment therapy for children and provided education and guidance to parents and the community on how to best approach grief with children. I take the concepts I learned about the bereavement process with all my clients, children and adult and assist indidvudals with moving through their individualized grief process.
As a Registered Nurse, I fully integrate my knowlege and experience with physical health and medical issues and how those may impact a persons mental health.
9 ratings with written reviews
August 12, 2026
As someone who has talked about going to therapy for years but was afraid to step up to the plate: I am so happy that i did and i connected with Melissa. She has such a warm, genuine energy that makes me feel so comfortable and empowered to take the next steps on my healing journey :)
July 6, 2026
I have tried therapy multiple times through different platforms, but through Grow, I found Melissa, and it has made a huge difference in my life already. I look forward to our session each week and end each session with such a calmness that continues throughout my week. Melissa is very understanding and compassionate, and is quick to create solutions and coping mechanisms rather than just talking about problems.
May 20, 2026
Melissa is kind and really works with you to figure out what works for you!