Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker, Psychologist
Addictions
Relationship issues
Family conflicts
Trauma and abuse
Coping with life changes
Video
Phone
Live Chat
Messaging
About me
Hi, there! I go by "M.A.," though I have other nicknames, too. I'm a licensed family therapist and a licensed psychologist; I completed my graduate education programs in Miami, FL. I work from a multigenerational family systems approach and incorporate psychodramatic (& sociometric) methods into my clinical work; these are each relational in theory, in reality/in practice, and in the healing process. I believe in establishing clear boundaries and learning what someone's emotional needs are, so that they can make healthy choices and potentially get grounded as often as necessary.
I've been a psychotherapist for more than 30 years. This has included working with many different groups of people in various settings (e.g., private psychotherapy, inpatient drug treatment, high school counseling program, county drug treatment, outpatient psychotherapy, women's prison, drug court treatment, etc.). My focus at times has been on healing past personal trauma (e.g., sexual abuse/incest, rape, domestic violence, etc.), as well as anxiety, stress, depression, and borderline personality disorder - among other daily life challenges.
I look forward to beginning my work with you and hope you'll ask me questions about anything that will facilitate a useful & relevant experience in therapy for you, personally. I hope to hear from you soon!
Professional experience
32yrs in practice
Additional areas of focus: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Parenting issues, Anger management, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Attachment Issues, Avoidant Personality, Blended Family Issues, Body Image, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Co-morbidity, Codependency, Commitment Issues, Communication Problems, Control Issues, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Dependent Personality, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Dissociation, Divorce and Separation, Domestic Violence, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Emptiness, Expats, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, First Responder Issues, Gender Dysphoria, Guilt and Shame, HIV / AIDS, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Impulsivity, Isolation/Loneliness, Life Purpose, Men's Issues, Midlife Crisis, Military and Veterans Issues, Mood Disorders, Multicultural Concerns, Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks, Personality Disorders, Phobias, Polyamory / Nonmonogamous Relationships, Postpartum Depression, Post-traumatic Stress, Prejudice and Discrimination, Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-Love, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Sexuality, Smoking/Vaping Cessation, Social Anxiety and Phobia, Somatization, Women's Issues, Workplace Issues, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Existential Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Psychodynamic Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
License information
FL Psychologist PY7080
Reviews
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
We have only met once But I’m confident that Dr lawless will continue to be vital part of my recovery ❤️
Written on Jul 29, 2022 after therapy with Melinda for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, eating disorders, self esteem, anger management, and coping with life changes
Dr. Lawless Corker makes me feel supported, believed, and worthy. She sends me exerpts of things on topics we discussed during our weekly video sessions that are so helpful. She has gone above and beyond my wildest dreams for how helpful getting therapy from a psychologist could be. I truly feel like she is a partner in my journey of therapy. I am so lucky to have been paired with her.
Written on May 06, 2022 after therapy with Melinda for 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and adhd
I've enjoyed working with Dr. Coker!
Written on Apr 11, 2022 after therapy with Melinda for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, parenting issues, anger management, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, and adhd
Very caring and knowledgeable.
Written on Dec 15, 2021 after therapy with Melinda for 3 months on issues concerning family conflicts
I have met weekly with Dr. Lawless Coker for the past 2 months. In that short amount of time, she has shared a lot of her knowledge and techniques with me to help me stay grounded and integrate self-care into my routine. She always sends the information on these concepts in writing after the session, so I can refer to them later and it allows me to focus on the session rather than taking notes non-stop. I also really appreciate that Dr. Lawless Coker took the time to ask questions about the people (and pets) in my family; this allows her to understand me better and I can say with certainty that her main goal is making sure I get better.
Written on Dec 15, 2021 after therapy with Melinda for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, and adhd
She’s great, I’m glad she’s helping me
Written on Nov 03, 2021 after therapy with Melinda for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, and anger management