About Me
Hello! My name is Melissa and I love what I do! Counseling people is my life's work and I've been doing it 14 years. Whatever it is you are going through, I can assure you, I have worked with someone who has dealt with something similar. I specialize in treating addiction issues, as I've worked in 5 different in-patient drug and alcohol treatment centers/rehabs in my career. Though I have years of professional experience working with an array of all kinds of issues and different populations.
I greatly enjoy working with individuals and families. I also have several years experience working with teens, including those who have grown up in the system, been abused, and at high-risk, or with behavioral or learning problems. Clients feedback is often reported to me as: I am "easy to talk to," "friendly," and "down to earth." I've also been told I am helpful and a "good listener;" that is important to me. I am mostly solution-focused, meaning...I want to understand the problem, but then want to get into the tough work of finding solutions as soon as possible.
As a therapist, I have a lot of empathy, am caring, and invested in improving your life circumstances. I am non-judgmental and believe that no matter how similar or different we may be, we can work together and develop a rapport. We can start right away, opening lines of communication so I can understand where you are coming from and help in anyway I can. My hope is to develop a warm, and trusting relationship in which you feel comfortable, and heard.
One of my favorite things to hear as a therapist from a client is, "exactly," because I know we are on the same page, and I smile when a client says after session, " I feel much better." That is my aspiration, to help, and get to know you. Please understand that this is not just a job for me. I am genuinely here for you! Thank you for taking the time to read my profile and learn more about me as a professional.
Specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Depression
LGBT , Trauma and abuse , Grief , Intimacy-related issues , Anger management , Self esteem , Bipolar disorder , Coping with life changes , Compassion fatigue , Abandonment , Adoption and Foster Care , Blended Family Issues , Body Image , Read more...
Clinical approaches:
Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy
Services Offered
Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video
Licensing
LMFT #80862 (Expires: 2023-11-30)
Reviews
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Melissa Macgown. 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.
Melissa asks hard questions and follows them up really well! She has prompted me to do a lot of really good introspection during our first month working together, and I feel very happy with the progress I'm making.
Our first session went wonderful. I felt an immediate connection with her and had no problem opening up to her. She was a great listener and gave me some very insightful tips to help with my day to day struggles.
Melissa validates all my feelings and concerns. She helps me see things about my thoughts and emotions that I hadn’t noticed before. She is timely in responding to my messages too!