Melissa Smith

Skilled counselor blending practical strategies with empathy

LPC Missouri

Experience: 23 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Self esteem, Bipolar
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages: English

About Melissa

Melissa Smith is a licensed professional counselor practicing in Missouri with 23 years of experience supporting people through a wide range of emotional and life challenges.

Background and approach

She draws on a mix of evidence-informed methods, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to help clients address anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and difficulties with stress, motivation, and self-esteem. Her background also includes work with trauma, grief, addiction concerns, relationship and intimacy issues, and caregiving or aging-related stress.

She emphasizes a nonjudgmental, client-centered approach that encourages honest expression of thoughts and feelings while promoting practical skills for coping and change. Sessions typically focus on identifying patterns that contribute to distress, building mindfulness and emotional regulation skills, and setting realistic goals that match each person’s values.

Melissa frames therapy as a collaborative process, offering guidance and support as clients take steps toward greater well-being and purpose. Her practice also attends to less commonly addressed themes such as codependency, guilt and shame, career and workplace issues, and feelings of emptiness or isolation.

Fluent in English and licensed in Missouri (LPC), she combines long-standing clinical experience with a flexible, strengths-based stance to tailor care to each individual’s needs.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Delivery

Melissa integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy to address practical problems and emotional patterns. CBT is goal-oriented and focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, mood regulation, and stress management. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy and collaborative understanding, creating space for clients to explore feelings and values while guiding decisions at their own pace.

Choosing an approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist works with each person to determine what fits best. Sessions begin with a collaborative assessment of needs, goals, and preferences, and the clinician adjusts techniques over time so that interventions align with the client’s changing priorities and comfort level.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule consistent sessions around work, caregiving, or mobility constraints and allow clients to access licensed professionals from their own location. The variety of formats also supports different styles of communication, whether someone prefers real-time conversation or short, written check-ins between appointments.

Frequently asked questions

What issues does this clinician commonly address?

She works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar and other mood disorders, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, grief, caregiving strain, and workplace or career problems.

What is the therapeutic approach and session style?

The practice emphasizes a client-centered stance combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness techniques, focusing on collaborative goal-setting, skill-building, and exploration of underlying patterns.

How much clinical experience does she bring?

This counselor has 23 years of professional experience working with diverse emotional, behavioral, and life transition concerns.

What credentials and location apply to this provider?

She holds an LPC credential with Missouri license number MO LPC 2017019228 and practices in Missouri.

In what languages is care offered and are international clients accepted?

Services are provided in English, and she is not accepting international clients at this time.

Which session formats are available for appointments?

Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on preference and availability.

How are costs and subscriptions handled?

Session cost varies with location and therapist availability; services are delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are needed to begin working together?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Self esteemBipolar disorderDepression Coping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse GriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyEmptinessForgivenessGuilt and shame Isolation / lonelinessLife purposeMood disorders Post-traumatic stressWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

23+ years

Licensed

Missouri

Languages

English