Melissa Wiles
Hello! I'm Melissa Wiles, LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor in Florida. I have had many years experience as a professional school counselor and furthered my education and transitioned to clinical mental health counseling 4 years ago. I currently work in telehealth as a therapist.
I have had many years experience as a professional school counselor and furthered my education and transitioned to clinical mental health counseling 4 years ago.
I enjoy the many stages of the therapeutic relationship from intake up until our work is done. It is an honor to work with my clients and my overall goal is that you experience growth as a person and feel you can cope better in your life as a result of therapy.
First session
In our first session, my main goal is to get to know some things about you and to learn what brought you to therapy. I want you to be at ease. We will begin to establish goals and to collaborate on a treatment plan for you. *I respectfully decline to complete paperwork for clients related to any of the following: FMLA, Emotional Support Animals, disability, the courts, attorneys, social security, gender affirming care, etc. If you are looking for these services, please contact your primary care provider or psychiatrist.
Strengths
I'm often told that my calm demeanor is my biggest asset. I'm a great listener and I am flexible to adjust your sessions to suit your needs.
Ideal clients
I enjoy working with adults of all ages and young people from ages 18 and up. I truly enjoy helping my clients going through life transitions. I am accustomed to working with students and parents. I also am honored to provide therapy for those experiencing grief and loss. Additionally, I have personal experience with living with chronic illness and can truly understand the challenges and the ways mental health care can reduce stress, thus improving outcomes and quality of life.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT as a preferred modality, especially with my clients dealing with anxiety and/or depression. I love to see growth in my clients as they are able to recognize cognitive distortions (stinkin' thinkin') and learn to reframe to look at the facts and cope more effectively.
Grief Therapy
In my own life, I've experienced much loss. Due to my own circumstances, I became interested in therapy for loss and grief. It is something I study about and it is a personal mission to educate others on how to properly respond to people in grief, as we aren't taught how to do this and may be very well-meaning, but actually might hurt the person grieving. I am empathetic and calm and feel comfortable working with those dealing with grief and loss. It is an honor to be there for clients when they are vulnerable and to walk through the journey with them.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I use mindfulness in nearly all my sessions in some way, and mindfulness-based therapy is a powerful modality. I feel we can begin to feel more in control of ourself when things outside our control are confusing and even frightening. I enjoy mindfulness and helping clients build their toolbox to feel they have many options when things get tough.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
I feel SFBT has a place in helping clients with problems that can be addressed in a shorter time. SFBT served me well as a school counselor of many years and it is often useful and preferred modality when a client has a specific need for acute intervention.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT is very useful and a modality I have trained in recently. DBT is similar and related to CBT. It trains the client to look at things from a different perspective, thus coping more effectively.
Location
Virtual sessions