- Practical skill building
- Warm and direct
- End-of-life support
About Melissa
Melissa Harris is a Licensed Professional Counselor with eight years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and life transitions. She practices in Tennessee and focuses on practical steps clients can use right away. Melissa aims to create a calm, respectful space where people can talk about what matters most to them.
Her work often addresses trauma and abuse, parenting and adoption concerns, ADHD, addictions, and relationship or intimacy struggles. She also supports people coping with chronic illness, cancer, caregiver strain, and aging-related worries. Melissa helps clients sort through communication problems, codependency, and commitment issues so they can make clearer decisions.
Melissa draws from a mix of approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based work, Client-Centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Sessions focus on building skills, naming patterns, and trying small changes between meetings. She uses plain language and collaborative pacing so clients feel involved in planning each step.
Her style is warm and direct. Melissa balances practical tools with attention to emotional experience. She often helps people build routines, manage intense feelings, and practice new ways of relating to others.
People who want focused, goal-oriented work alongside emotional support often find this style helpful. Melissa also has experience supporting those facing end-of-life and hospice-related concerns, offering steady presence while clients and loved ones navigate these challenges.
Her work often addresses trauma and abuse, parenting and adoption concerns, ADHD, addictions, and relationship or intimacy struggles. She also supports people coping with chronic illness, cancer, caregiver strain, and aging-related worries. Melissa helps clients sort through communication problems, codependency, and commitment issues so they can make clearer decisions.
Melissa draws from a mix of approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based work, Client-Centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Sessions focus on building skills, naming patterns, and trying small changes between meetings. She uses plain language and collaborative pacing so clients feel involved in planning each step.
Her style is warm and direct. Melissa balances practical tools with attention to emotional experience. She often helps people build routines, manage intense feelings, and practice new ways of relating to others.
People who want focused, goal-oriented work alongside emotional support often find this style helpful. Melissa also has experience supporting those facing end-of-life and hospice-related concerns, offering steady presence while clients and loved ones navigate these challenges.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy
Experience
8+ years
Credentials
Tennessee
Languages
English
How these approaches translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings while choosing actions that match their values. It often focuses on small, value-driven steps that reduce avoidance and increase meaningful activity. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete strategies to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress by practicing new behaviors and thought skills between sessions.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Melissa will work with each person to identify goals, try methods that seem promising, and adjust based on what helps. That means sessions can include skill practice, problem solving, and gentle attention to past hurts as needed.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. In general, online therapy can make scheduling easier and help sessions fit into busy lives. It can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins during a work break, or make it simpler to continue care when relocating. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and CBT into remote sessions through focused exercises, coaching, and homework tailored to each person.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Melissa commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, ADHD, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting and communication problems, and related concerns listed in her specialties.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is collaborative and down-to-earth, blending skill teaching with emotional work. Sessions emphasize practical steps and reflection between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Melissa has eight years of experience as a counselor supporting people through life changes, grief, trauma, and other challenges.
What credentials and location are on record?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, credentialed as TN LPC, and practices in Tennessee.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English, and she does accept international clients.
Which session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options with the service before booking.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.