- ACT methods
- EMDR for trauma
- CBT techniques
About Melissa
Melissa Reighn is a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 15 years of clinical experience. She works with adults who are coping with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, and life changes. She also helps people facing parenting strains, ADHD, eating concerns, bipolar symptoms, and feelings of guilt and shame.
Her approach treats the client as the expert on their own life. She focuses on practical steps clients can use between sessions. Conversations are aimed at identifying strengths and small moves that reduce overwhelm and build steadier routines.
Melissa draws on several evidence-informed methods, including acceptance and commitment ideas, client-centered listening, cognitive behavioral tools, EMDR for trauma work, and solution-focused strategies. She weaves these methods to match a person’s situation rather than sticking to one single method.
Sessions often cover handling hot moments, managing unhelpful thoughts, and building clearer communication. Melissa also supports people working through guilt and shame tied to relationships, faith, or past decisions, helping them separate what they can change from what they cannot.
Her style is direct and practical. She helps people set concrete short-term goals, track small changes, and adjust strategies over time. For someone juggling daily responsibilities and strong feelings, she offers ways to make therapy fit into real life.
How Melissa Uses Evidence-Based Methods Online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing thoughts and values, then taking small values-based actions despite difficult feelings. It can help when guilt or shame keeps someone stuck and they want to act differently without waiting for feelings to change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It teaches practical tools to test unhelpful thoughts and try different responses, which can reduce overwhelming thinking and improve everyday coping.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Melissa will collaborate with each person to see which methods fit their goals and preferences. She adjusts strategies as needed and checks in regularly about what is helping and what needs to change.
Session formats are not specified in the provided biography, so confirm the current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. Working by video may support in-the-moment practice of skills, while phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth or camera use is difficult. Licensed professionals can adapt sessions so therapy fits into everyday life without requiring major schedule changes.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, and life changes. Additional focuses include parenting struggles, ADHD, eating concerns, bipolar symptoms, and guilt and shame.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses a practical, collaborative approach that emphasizes strengths and short-term goals. Sessions focus on concrete steps clients can try between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 15 years of professional experience working with adults in clinical settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC, licensed in New York and practices from that location.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.