- Client-centered therapy
- CBT techniques
- Mindfulness practice
About Melissa
Melissa Newsom is an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) practicing in Kentucky with three years of clinical experience. She works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, and depression. Melissa also gives attention to struggles like guilt and shame, attachment and abandonment concerns, and panic or obsessive symptoms.
She uses clear, practical conversation to help people describe what’s going on and find small steps that make life feel more manageable. Sessions focus on understanding patterns, naming painful feelings, and trying out different ways to respond. Melissa favors straightforward methods rather than jargon or long lectures.
Her approach draws on client-centered methods that put the person’s perspective first. She integrates elements of cognitive behavioral therapy to spot thinking patterns that keep problems going. Mindfulness techniques are used for grounding and noticing emotion without getting overwhelmed.
Melissa also brings trauma-focused tools when past harms affect present life. Motivational interviewing is part of how she helps people clarify goals and uncover their own reasons for change. The work aims to be collaborative - the client and therapist decide which steps fit day-to-day life.
People who come to her often want concrete ways to handle difficult moments, repair strained relationships, or lessen ongoing shame and guilt. She encourages practical practice between sessions and checks in about what is working. If someone wants to learn more about how she structures first sessions, they are invited to use the directory’s matching and scheduling steps.
Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions fit
Client-centered therapy places the person’s own experience at the center. The therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and follows the client’s lead to identify what feels most important to address. This approach helps when someone wants their feelings and perspective understood before moving forward.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on noticing patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems active. CBT offers hands-on techniques to test unhelpful thoughts and try different responses, which can help with anxiety, mood issues, and guilt-driven thinking.
Mindfulness practice teaches simple attention skills for staying present with emotion without being swept away. It is often used alongside other methods to calm high arousal and make it easier to try new coping strategies.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and daily life, and together they decide which methods to try. That choice can shift over time as needs change.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, shorten travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Therapists and clients can also adapt exercises and between-session practices to work in everyday settings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
3+ years
Listed in
Kentucky
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, and depression. Additional focuses include guilt and shame, attachment and abandonment concerns, panic, OCD symptoms, and social anxiety.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses client-centered conversation to name and sit with those feelings, then brings in CBT and mindfulness tools to change unhelpful thinking and reduce emotional overload. The process emphasizes small, practical steps.
What is her background and experience?
She holds an LCSW and has three years of practice experience working with adults on mood, trauma-related, and relationship concerns.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Kentucky and practices with that credential in the state.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm the current session options before booking.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Exact pricing will be provided during the matching and scheduling steps.
How do I begin a first session?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the directory’s booking process.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.