- Direct supportive care
- Skills-based tools
- Goal focused work
About Melissa
Melissa Button is a licensed mental health counselor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, and issues with self-esteem and depression. She brings 15 years of experience and a straightforward, empathetic approach to sessions. Melissa emphasizes practical tools people can use between meetings to feel steadier and more able to cope.
She begins by building rapport and learning what matters most to each person. That initial phase focuses on goals and simple, realistic steps. Melissa works with clients to identify strengths and barriers, then creates a plan that feels useful and doable.
Her work draws on client-centered listening alongside cognitive behavioral techniques and dialectical behavior strategies. Melissa also uses mindfulness and motivational interviewing to help people stay focused and increase motivation. She explains methods in plain language and practices them together with the person in session.
Melissa has professional experience supporting people facing caregiver stress, chronic illness or pain, codependency, workplace strain, and financial worries. She also addresses feelings of guilt, shame, isolation, and challenges after brain injury. The focus is on helping people gain clearer thinking, better emotion management, and more confident decision making.
Starting therapy with Melissa involves identifying concrete next steps. She encourages people to notice small changes and build on them. The result is meant to be more reliable day-to-day coping and a stronger sense of personal direction.
Approaches for online work and finding what fits
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and making the person's own goals the priority. In online sessions this means the therapist follows the client's lead and helps turn personal values into small, actionable steps that can be practiced between meetings.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, behaviors, and feelings interact. Online CBT often involves identifying unhelpful thought patterns, trying short experiments between sessions, and building new habits to reduce anxiety or mood symptoms.
Dialectical behavior therapy, DBT, emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication. It can help people learn concrete skills to manage intense feelings and improve everyday functioning.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences, and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Session format options are not specified in the biography, so confirm current session options before booking. Many people find online therapy helpful for fitting sessions into busy schedules, reducing travel time, and keeping regular momentum between meetings. It can make it easier to check in during a work break, follow a short skills practice, or continue care when circumstances change.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Melissa address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, addictions, low self-esteem, depression, and compassion fatigue, plus related issues like caregiver stress, chronic illness, codependency, and money and financial issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She uses a person-centered style that emphasizes listening and collaboration, combined with practical skills from cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior approaches.
What is her background and experience?
Melissa has 15 years of professional experience working in mental health settings and helping people build coping skills for emotional and behavioral challenges.
What credentials does she hold and where is she located?
She is a licensed mental health counselor - LMHC - licensed in New York and practices from that state.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can someone outside the U.S. work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What steps should I take to begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule based on the therapist's availability.