About Melissa
Melissa Monahan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Arizona who helps people coping with stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and mood struggles. She meets people with a range of concerns, including depression, bipolar mood issues, low self-esteem, anger, and compassion fatigue. Her style aims to be straightforward and down-to-earth so families and individuals can focus on practical change.
She uses a client-centered approach that keeps the person's goals front and center.
Background and approach
Melissa blends that with cognitive behavioral techniques to spot and shift unhelpful thinking. She also draws on motivational interviewing to boost readiness for change and solution-focused strategies to build clear next steps. Sessions are meant to feel collaborative.
Melissa listens first, then helps map small, achievable steps toward the changes a person wants. She avoids labels and works to meet someone where they are, using tools that fit their life and values. Melissa has three years of experience as an LPC working in behavioral health settings.
That background includes work with people affected by substance use and related legal system involvement, where trauma and mood problems are often part of the picture. Her practical focus is helping people break cycles that keep them stuck, build coping skills, and strengthen motivation. The aim is steady progress through short-term goals and real-world strategies that fit day-to-day life.
How Melissa Uses Evidence-Based Approaches Online
Melissa commonly uses client-centered work and cognitive behavioral therapy when meeting with people online. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and shaping sessions around a person’s goals, which helps build trust and clear priorities. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at how thoughts affect feelings and behavior, and offers practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns.She also incorporates elements of motivational interviewing to strengthen a person's willingness to make change. That approach uses open questions and reflective listening to uncover what matters most and to boost confidence for action. Together these methods aim to create a focused plan with steps a person can try between sessions.
Finding the best approach is part of the process. Melissa will collaborate with each person to decide which techniques fit their needs, goals, and preferences. She adapts the mix of approaches as someone progresses so therapy stays useful and realistic.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video works well for in-depth conversations and skill practice, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or live chat can support brief check-ins or ongoing coaching between meetings. These options give flexibility for scheduling, shorter check-ins, and different communication styles while keeping the focus on practical, goal-oriented work.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Also listed
- Anger management
- Antisocial personality
- Bipolar disorder
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- First responder issues
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 3 years
- Licensed
- Arizona
- Languages
- English