Melissa Hood-March
Melissa Hood-March
(she/her)
I have always been a person who wants and needs to help others. To foster compassion, healing, connection, trust, self-understating and self-love feels like a calling to me... for myself and others. I find it a privilege and honor to be in service to each individual I get to work with. My inspiration and passion are rooted in a deep care and responsibility to connect and do the deeper work. I believe that the therapeutic space is a vehicle in which we are able to re-align with the self-energy, clarity and vitality necessary to inspire and allow for the creation of meaningful change and healing authentic to each individual. I will be honored to have the opportunity to walk alongside you through this chapter of your story. Credentials and Clinical Trainings: Licensed Professional Counselor, (PA Certification Board), Bachelors of Science in Rehabilitation/human services (Penn State University), Masters of Arts in Substance Use and Co-occurring disorders specializing in trauma (Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDRIA Certification), Certified Advanced Drug and Alcohol Counselor, CAADC (PA Certification Board), Internal Family Systems (IFS Institute) and Advanced Trauma Sensitive Yoga Instructor RYT-500 (Yoga Alliance, US).
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
You can expect in a first session with me to be invited into a comfortable space and to connect and attune to the environment in your own timing. I always offer space to share, or to inquire about anything that you may be curious about or experiencing. From there, depending on your preferences and unique way of being, we may create a treatment plan or begin to process current concerns, or explore techniques. Again, each session is dependent upon your needs and way of being. Ultimately, you can expect me to be very curious and caring about working together and about beginning the therapy journey in a way that is supportive of you.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I am dedicated to fostering conscious connections and utilizing powerful healing techniques including EMDR, IFS parts work, somatic self-healing, CBT, and other creative modalities to suit each individual's specific needs. I am passionate about guiding individuals to develop the self-healing and emotional regulation skills essential to navigating life’s transitions and for those experiencing anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and other emotional and mental health concerns. As a therapist, I intend to hold myself in a calming and empowering safe presence, as a teacher, a guide and a devoted ally and witness on your journey. I believe in the importance of self-care, learning, healing, evolving, and aligning with what is genuinely meaningful to you.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
So glad you are here. I feel that anyone who crosses my path looking for therapy and healing is a perfect prospective client. I am here to provide for you a safe, compassionate, stabilizing environment where you can receive the support you need at this time in your life. Seeking connection and support is an honorable act of courage and self-care and an essential act in times of stress, transition and the internal and external challenges that we all face during the inevitable challenges that life presents to us. I honor you for being here and for taking this step towards your own peace of mind and heart.
About Melissa Hood-March
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VirtualMy treatment methods
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), as with most therapy approaches, focuses on the individual’s present concerns. The EMDR approach believes past emotionally-charged experiences are overly influencing your present emotions, sensations, and thoughts about yourself. As an example: “Do you ever feel worthless although you know you are a worthwhile person?” EMDR processing helps you break through the emotional blocks that are keeping you from living an adaptive, emotionally healthy life. EMDR uses rapid sets of eye movements to help you update disturbing experiences, much like what occurs when we sleep. During sleep, we alternate between regular sleep and REM (rapid eye movement). This sleep pattern helps you process things that are troubling you. EMDR replicates this sleep pattern by alternating between sets of eye movements and brief reports about what you are noticing. This alternating process helps you update your memories to a healthier present perspective.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS is a Transformative psychotherapy… and an empowering paradigm. "IFS is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Just like members of a family, inner parts are forced from their valuable states into extreme roles within us. Self is in everyone. It can’t be damaged. It knows how to heal. IFS is frequently used as an evidence-based psychotherapy, helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts. But IFS is much more than a non-pathologizing evidence-based psychotherapy to be used in a clinical setting. It is also a way of understanding personal and intimate relationships and stepping into life with the 8 Cs: confidence, calm, compassion, courage, creativity, clarity, curiosity, and connectedness. Professionals from many different backgrounds such as, but not limited to, body workers, legal mediation, school administration, life coaches, and religious leaders may utilize IFS to inform and guide their work. Our growing list of educational programs aims to serve not only therapists but the wider public and other professions. The mission of IFS Institute is to bring more Self leadership to the world."
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
M-CBT, or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, combines traditional CBT principles with mindfulness practices. It emphasizes the awareness of the interconnectedness between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can recognize and challenge negative automatic thoughts, cognitive distortions, and unhelpful narratives. This awareness allows them to make more intentional and aligned choices, fostering better mental health and well-being.