Melanie McGee
Hi, I'm Melanie! I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor, a mom, a military spouse, and someone who knows firsthand what it's like to navigate life with ADHD. So, when I say I understand how overwhelming life can get, I'm not just speaking from a textbook. I work with adults and teens navigating ADHD, burnout, anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, and major life transitions. I have a particular passion for helping people who seem to have it all together on the outside but feel like they're barely keeping up on the inside. You know, the ones who are always showing up for everybody else but can't remember the last time they showed up for themselves.
Therapy should feel more like a meaningful conversation than an interrogation. Here, you'll find honest conversations, genuine connection, a little laughter, and room to grow.
As a military spouse, I also understand the unique challenges of military life, including deployments, constant adjustments, and the pressure to be strong and independent even when you're exhausted. And as someone diagnosed with ADHD later in life, I understand how validating, frustrating, and eye-opening it can be to finally make sense of the way your brain works. My approach to therapy is warm, conversational, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based practices, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), person-centered therapy, and solution-focused techniques. My experience in both inpatient and outpatient mental health settings has taught me that healing isn't one-size-fits-all. I believe therapy should feel more like a meaningful conversation than an interrogation. We'll laugh when it's appropriate, work through the hard stuff, and make room for you to show up exactly as you are. You don't have to have everything figured out before starting therapy. That's part of what we're here to explore together.
First session
First things first, our first session is a conversation, not an interrogation. I'm not going to ask you to unpack your entire life story in 50 minutes. We'll talk about what brought you to therapy, what's been going on, and what you're hoping to get out of our time together. I'll ask some questions to gather important background information, but there's no pressure to tell me everything all at once. More than anything, our first session is about getting to know each other and beginning to build a relationship. I want you to get a feel for me and how I work, just as much as I want to learn about you. Therapy works best when you feel comfortable, understood, and safe enough to be yourself. We might laugh a little, we might talk about some hard things, or we might just start figuring out where to begin. There's no perfect way to show up. You don't need a speech prepared, and you definitely don't need to have it all figured out. We'll take it one conversation at a time.
Strengths
I think what makes my approach unique is that I bring both my professional experience and my real-life experiences into the way I connect with people. I've experienced joy, grief, unexpected changes, motherhood, military life, and the challenges of navigating ADHD. Life has humbled me, stretched me, and taught me that things aren't always as simple as they look from the outside. My approach is a little bit of both: I'll hold space for you, but I'll also challenge you. I believe you deserve to feel heard, understood, and supported, but I also believe growth sometimes requires having conversations that aren't always comfortable. I'm not the therapist who's going to nod and agree with everything you say just because it feels good in the moment. We'll explore patterns, challenge unhelpful thinking, talk about boundaries, and sometimes have to ask ourselves, "Okay, but what part are we playing in this?" That doesn't mean therapy has to feel heavy all the time. I bring warmth, authenticity, and humor into my sessions. We can laugh, we can unpack the hard stuff, and we can have honest conversations without judgment. My goal isn't to tell you how to live your life. It's to help you better understand yourself, recognize your strengths, and make changes that actually feel meaningful to you. I'll meet you where you are, but I won't leave you stuck there.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone who's tired of feeling stuck and ready to figure out what comes next, even if they have absolutely no idea where to start. Maybe you're the person everyone depends on. You're juggling work, relationships, family, and about a million other responsibilities, and somewhere along the way, you've lost sight of yourself. On the outside, things might look pretty good, but internally? Whew. It's a lot. Maybe you're navigating ADHD, trying to understand why seemingly simple things feel so difficult, or processing a diagnosis that suddenly makes your entire life make sense. Maybe you're dealing with grief, burnout, anxiety, relationship struggles, or a major life transition that has left you wondering, "Okay, now what?" I especially enjoy working with people who are learning to set boundaries, recognize their worth, navigate complicated family dynamics, and stop feeling responsible for everybody else's happiness. I also welcome teens who are figuring out their emotions, relationships, identities, and how to navigate a world that can feel pretty overwhelming. You don't have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy, and you certainly don't need to have everything figured out. My ideal client isn't someone who has all the answers. It's someone who's willing to get curious about themselves, have honest conversations, and consider doing things a little differently.
Treatment methods
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I believe you're the expert on your own life. My job isn't to tell you who to be or how to live it, but to help you better understand yourself and figure out what works for you. My approach is rooted in person-centered and humanistic therapy, which means I focus on building a genuine, trusting relationship where you feel heard, respected, and accepted without judgment. I meet you where you are, recognizing that your experiences, values, and goals are unique to you. That doesn't mean I'll just sit back and agree with everything you say. I'll listen, ask thoughtful questions, offer different perspectives, and gently challenge you when needed. Together, we'll explore your feelings, identify patterns, recognize your strengths, and work toward meaningful change. I believe growth happens when you feel safe enough to be yourself and supported enough to try something different. You bring your story, and we'll work together to figure out what comes next.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. Together, we'll identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck, challenge unhelpful thinking, and develop practical tools to navigate life's challenges. It's not about just "thinking positive." It's about learning to see things differently, respond in healthier ways, and make meaningful changes that last.
Strength-Based
I use strengths-based therapy to help you recognize the abilities, resilience, and resources you already have, even when life has made you forget they're there. Instead of focusing only on what's going wrong, we'll explore what's working, build on your strengths, and use them to navigate challenges. It's not about ignoring the hard stuff. It's about reminding you that you're more than what you're going through.
Location
Virtual sessions