Hi, I'm Amber.
I believe many of us spend years trying to find where we belong.
Along the way, we learn how to adapt. We become who others need us to be, who our families expect us to be, who our workplaces reward us for being, who our relationships require us to be, or who feels easiest to love, understand, accept, or choose. Sometimes we become the peacekeeper. Sometimes the achiever. Sometimes the caretaker. Sometimes the one who stays quiet. Sometimes the one who becomes whatever is needed to maintain connection, acceptance, or belonging.
Over time, it can become difficult to tell which parts of us feel genuinely ours and which parts developed in response to fear, loneliness, rejection, expectations, workplace demands, relationships, or the longing to be seen, understood, valued, accepted, and chosen.
If you've found yourself asking questions like, "Why do I always feel different?", "Why do I feel like I don't quite fit?", "Why am I never chosen?", "Who am I beneath everyone else's expectations?", or "What parts of me no longer feel like mine?", you're not alone.
I work best with adults navigating life transitions, grief, relationship challenges, identity shifts, or seasons of feeling disconnected from themselves. My work focuses on helping people explore these questions with curiosity and compassion, reconnect with the vibrant, authentic, parts of themselves that may have been buried beneath years of adaptation, and cultivate a stronger sense of belonging to themselves.
I don't believe my role is to tell you who you are. I believe the most meaningful answers are rarely given to us. They are uncovered. My role is to help you slow down, become curious about your story, listen more closely to your voice, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been there all along.
I come from a first responder family, and it shaped how I understand the people I work with. I built my practice specifically for law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatchers/911, and veterans — people who carry things most providers have never had to sit with, let alone treat. I'm not interested in being another therapist who nods along without understanding the job. I get it, and that changes what happens in the room.
Not all the work is about the job, either. Plenty of clients come to me for personal issues — relationship struggles, childhood stuff, grief, anxiety, things that have nothing to do with the badge or uniform. Being from this world just means I already understand the context you're operating in, whatever you're bringing to the room.
I use evidence-based treatments — including EMDR, Brainspotting, and Prolonged Exposure, among others — to help clients process trauma that others may not fully understand. I also draw on Critical Incident Stress Management and Psychological First Aid for cumulative exposure, not just single-incident trauma. Whether it's an officer-involved shooting, years of runs finally catching up with someone, or something from long before the job started, I know how to work with it directly instead of dancing around it.
My style is direct and less formal. I'm not going to make you explain your job to me or treat your coping mechanisms as automatically pathological. I'll call things what they are and won't waste your time with fluff. I work entirely via telehealth — meet with me from home, your vehicle between calls, wherever gives you privacy. If you want a therapist who won't flinch and actually understands the world you operate in, I'd like to work with you.
Hello, I'm Melissa.
Are you feeling lost, stressed or overwhelmed? Taking the steps to make changes in your life is the beginning of enhancing your well being. I strongly believe in working with you to create techniques to fit your specific needs for happiness. Together we will customize a treatment plan to help guide you on a path to a healthy body and mind. We will work towards finding proper self-care skills, balance, and coping skills that work for you.
I specialize in providing therapy for adolescents, adults, couples and families of varied needs, including anxiety, depression, and addiction. I have a certification for EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to assist and aid with any trauma, PTSD, or strong inhibitions. I am passionate about helping you take charge of your thoughts, feelings, & emotions to live a full life. Fulfillment is not a destination; it's a process.
My passion is providing excellent clinical services which I deliver in a warm, compassionate setting. I aim to teach you the skills you need to overcome the limitations you are facing so you can go on to lead a productive life. Let's start your goals today!
*EMDR and couples/family therapy will be at a cash-pay rate only.
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work. I specialize in supporting women who are carrying the weight of the world—juggling responsibilities, managing emotional wounds, and trying to hold it all together. My approach is rooted in compassion, cultural sensitivity, and evidence-based practices. I create a space where women feel safe to unpack their pain, process life’s challenges, and reconnect with their inner strength. My goal is to help you move from surviving to thriving—on your terms.
Life is full of change, and sometimes those changes can feel overwhelming. I believe there is no single “right way” to handle life’s challenges, which is why I take a person-centered and integrative approach to therapy. My goal is to help you feel supported and more at ease with where you are while working toward where you want to be.
Over the past 12 years, I’ve gained experience with a wide range of approaches including expressive arts therapy, solution-focused therapy, mindfulness, yoga, nature-based practices, nutrition, and relationship work. I enjoy bringing creativity and flexibility into sessions so that we can find what works best for you. I have a strong background in helping clients with worry, low mood, and spiritual concerns, and I strive to create a space where you can feel comfortable exploring any challenge you’re facing.
I earned my Master’s in Social Work from Saint Leo University with a specialization in Advanced Clinical Practice. Before that, I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication, with minors in Film and Creative Writing. My professional experience spans a variety of settings, including community health centers, private practice, child welfare, schools, nonprofits, and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, spending time in nature, watching movies, and participating in the arts. I am licensed in Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, and Utah. I work with cash-pay clients located in these states.
Modern high-performance demands often leave the nervous system stuck in state of chronic stress, anxiety, or functional burnout. I specialize in somatic and polyvagal-informed therapy designed for executives, founders, and driven professionals who need more than traditional talk therapy. With over 20 years of clinical expertise, my approach integrates body-centered techniques to help you decode physiological stress signals, restore autonomic balance, and process underlying trauma. Together, we move beyond basic coping mechanisms to build sustainable, long-term resilience and grounded clarity.
I have lived a long and colorful life. Like everyone else, I've made good and bad choices and learned from each. I have 22+ years experience in the mental health and substance abuse treatment field. I DO NOT JUDGE, AT ALL, PERIOD. I can be both blunt and gentle as appropriate. My role is to offer another perspective, a way to see life more fully and function better, no more, no less. I don't pretend to have all the answers but only one slice of wisdom. I just share what can help someone. Some people are not yet ready to be helped. Yet for those who are feeling lost on life's journey and are willing to listen and learn, I'm here to assist. My life work can be summed up in three words, "offering people hope. "
"The wound is where the light enters." - Jeladdin Rumi
"A coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man only once." Martin Luther King Jr.
"Wouldn't take nothin' for my journey now." - Maya Angelou
"The past is gone, and there is left only a blessing." - Kahlil Gibran
"Be true to yourself, and you will be false to no one else." - William Shakespeare
"How very lucky are we, for just a moment to be, part of life's eternal rhyme." Charlotte's Web, movie
"Not all who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien