- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- CBT and DBT skills
- Video telehealth only
About Melissa
Melissa Ardelean is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California with three years of experience. She works with relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, and coping with life changes. Melissa also lists focused areas such as abandonment, attachment issues, blended family concerns, body image, caregiving stress, chronic illness, commitment and communication problems, and fatherhood issues.
Melissa uses evidence-based approaches in session and keeps communication direct and open. She partners with clients to help identify practical steps and develop skills to meet personal goals. Sessions emphasize building tools people can use outside the hour.
Her style blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and attachment-based thinking with client-centered practices and elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. That mix is used to address interpersonal patterns, traumatic reactions, and difficult emotions like shame and guilt. She explains techniques in straightforward terms and practices concrete skill-building.
Sessions are offered through video telehealth only. Melissa schedules mainly late afternoon, evening, night, late night, and weekend appointments. If different hours are needed she asks prospective clients to reach out to discuss options.
She notes experience supporting people facing complex trauma, immigrant family dynamics, and interpersonal challenges across adolescence and adulthood. The work aims to increase practical coping, clearer communication, and steadier emotional responses rather than promising specific outcomes.
Therapeutic approaches used during video sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages noticing difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choosing actions that align with personal values. It can help with persistent guilt, avoidance, and making decisions during life changes.Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationship patterns affect trust, closeness, and emotional responses. It is often useful for intimacy concerns, abandonment issues, and repairing communication problems.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss what feels most relevant and try different methods based on the client's needs, goals, and preferences. That collaboration helps shape sessions so techniques fit daily life and relationships.
Melissa provides video telehealth sessions only, so confirm current session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving, or other obligations, and they allow focused skill practice without travel time. Video also supports demonstrations of grounding or breathing exercises and role-play for communication practice, which can be helpful for relationship and trauma-related concerns.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
3+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, and coping with life changes. Additional focuses include attachment, abandonment, body image, caregiving stress, and blended family issues.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is direct and practical, combining evidence-based methods with client-centered collaboration to build usable skills. Sessions emphasize concrete tools and clearer communication.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has three years of experience as a practicing clinician in California working with interpersonal and trauma-related concerns.
What is her credential and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California and sees clients via telehealth video sessions.
Does she offer sessions in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and what does it cost?
Session cost varies with location and services use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Specific pricing depends on the chosen subscription plan.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.