Discover Upcoming Events and Workshops with Melissa

As a millennial, I was raised being told I could be anything I wanted to be but I still took on a lot of harmful messaging about how I was actually supposed to show up in the world.  
As adults, millennial women can often feel like we’re caught between two worlds - the world we watched our mothers survive in and the world we were promised as young girls.  In reality, we still struggle with many of the same issues: still told to play it cool to keep a partner, still expected to take on the bulk of child rearing while building our careers. 

The truth of the matter is, it is still revolutionary to be your full self as a woman. We still self-abandon, feel burnt out, confused and unseen along the path we’re walking on. 

It’s my greatest mission toI help millennial women forge new paths by recognizing the harmful messaging that you internalized about the “right way to be” and help build self compassion and acceptance towards being who you truly are. 

But, what about men?

As a feminist therapist, you might be surprised to hear that I work with just as many men as I do women and nonbinary clients. Why? Because empowering women also means supporting men in developing the emotional skills many weren’t taught growing up.

Society often discourages men from exploring their emotions, leaving them feeling unfulfilled, misunderstood, and often deeply lonely. (Curious about this? Check out my blog post: Starving for Intimacy).

I’m passionate about helping men better understand how their thoughts and feelings shape their actions. Together, we’ll work on building emotional awareness and communication skills so you can show up as a more present, confident, and fulfilled partner, father, son, and human.

If you’re ready to strengthen your connections and live with more purpose and satisfaction, let’s get started.

HOW I GOT STARTED

I was my own ideal client once. I’ve battled anxiety and depression since I was a kid and healed from chronic relational trauma that impacted my sense of self and ability to form authentic relationships to myself and others.

My journey with therapy started at 19 and quite honestly, it saved my life. When I reflect back, I know my deepest healing came from acknowledging and tending to my past wounds with self-compassion and radical acceptance, learning more about truest self including my emotions, thoughts, needs and values, and building the resilience and self-trust to give myself what I need when life’s inevitable struggles arise. I cannot think of a better life’s purpose than to help others do the same.

My therapeutic style is active and collaborative in the conversation. I build trusting relationships with clients that serve as the catalyst towards positive change. During sessions, I am supportively direct: acknowledging and validating clients, while guiding them to shed the thoughts and behaviors that are no longer serving them. My clients often describe me as nonjudgmental, warm and down-to-earth.

WHAT WILL THIS LOOK LIKE?

My personal brand of therapy will feel like having a conversation with someone who accepts you for who you are. (Don’t worry – we will still get right to work on the things you’re doing that cause you to feel stuck.) 

In fact, throughout our conversations, I’ll look out for patterns, thoughts, feelings and behaviors that contribute to your feeling of stuckness. I will point them out to you, and, together, we will partner on learning more about these areas and ultimately shifting your perspectives and behaviors, tending to your past pain and learning new ways to cope with all that life throws at you. I will help you learn self compassion and radical self acceptance so that you can center your truest self and learn how to give yourself exactly what you need when you need it. 

I firmly believe that we can control only one area of our lives: how we respond to the world around us. I am passionate about helping women understand exactly what that means for them and empowering you to make those changes as I cheer you on from the sidelines. 

Sometimes the hardest part is getting started, so I commend you for taking the first step! Please believe: you are not too far gone, too broken or messed up to get the life and relationships you want and deserve. Let’s do this. 

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EDUCATION & TRAINING

• Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter School, Masters Degree
  New York University, Bachelors Degree in Applied Psychology 

• Trained in Functional Family Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Gottman Method

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker, New York and New Jersey

  New York License Number: 085652

  New Jersey License: 44SC05998400

  NPI 1144641820

• Adjunct Professor at Fordham University and Long Island University
  Past classes taught: Social Work Skills Lab, Child and Adolescent Trauma, Family Oriented Treatment, Couples Counseling, Suicide Assessment and Treatment, Advanced Clinical Practice