Therapist Melissa Kaekel Photo

Melissa Kaekel, LPC

Stress, Anxiety Grief Career difficulties Depression Compassion fatigue
Video Phone Live Chat Messaging

About me

I've been working as a counselor for over 15 years. My primary areas of focus are disability issues, workplace issues, and military/veteran issues. I have experience with:
* Adjusting to a disability (recovering from accident, chronic pain, depression, unsure of what to do now)
* Coping with changes caused by a disability (career change, change of work tasks, use of reasonable accommodations)
* Workplace stress (conflicts with peers/supervisors, unhappy with career, etc)
* Readjusting to civilian life after military service (home and/or work, stress from working with the VA for help)
* Working through combat-related traumas

My approach to counseling is to help you find value and meaning in the experience as you navigate a way forward. We create a safe space for you to share your feelings. I like to provide an assignment between sessions for you to complete to help reinforce a new change or skill or to assign a writing exercise to help you explore your feelings, but these are not required. We'll work to figure out how you'll benefit the most from our time together.

I'm a liberal person who is comfortable working with people of all sexual orientations.

Professional experience

21yrs in practice
Stress, Anxiety Grief Career difficulties Depression Compassion fatigue

Additional areas of focus: LGBT, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Intimacy-related issues, Sleeping disorders, Anger management, Self esteem, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Aging and Geriatric Issues, Cancer, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Chronic Pain Illness and Disability, Communication Problems, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Emptiness, Expats, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, First Responder Issues, Forgiveness, Guilt and Shame, Hoarding, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Intellectual Disability, Isolation / Loneliness, Life Purpose, Midlife Crisis, Military and Veterans Issues, Money and Financial Issues, Mood Disorders, Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks, Phobias, Post-traumatic Stress, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-Love, Social Anxiety and Phobia, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visually Impaired, Women's Issues, Workplace Issues

Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy

Services offered

Video
Phone
Live Chat
Messaging

License information

MI LPC 6401013201

Reviews

These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Melissa Kaekel. 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.

I love her, she is so kind and ask all the right questions and offers potential reasons why some things happen or how to go about different scenarios. I can tell she truly supports me and my path to healing and growth.

Written on Jan 23, 2023 after therapy with Melissa for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and trauma and abuse

This is my first experience with therapy and I am so happy I was matched with Melissa. She makes me feel comfortable, heard and validated and she’s been a huge help through the most difficult time in my life.

Written on Aug 28, 2022 after therapy with Melissa for 2 weeks on issues concerning relationship issues

I like her and it has been a good match for me to have her as my there

Written on Aug 22, 2022 after therapy with Melissa for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, grief, and coping with life changes

Melissa has been the most supportive, encouraging, guiding, and truly best therapist I have ever worked with. I cannot express how much her work has helped me in my recovery

Written on Jul 07, 2022 after therapy with Melissa for 8 months on issues concerning grief

Melissa has been fantastic for me, she's encouraged me and helped me through my recovery of a bad breakup. She's offered me a different perspective on things that is greatly appreciated. She's awesome!

Written on May 24, 2022 after therapy with Melissa for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, relationship issues, and sleeping disorders

Shows compassion and empathy and support

Written on May 23, 2022 after therapy with Melissa for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, eating disorders, and self esteem