- Anxiety
- Addictions
- Life purpose
About Melissa
Melissa Johnson is a Connecticut LCSW with four years of clinical experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, low self-esteem, depression, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, anger, and major life changes. She also focuses on communication problems, drug and alcohol addiction, impulsivity, isolation and loneliness, life purpose, and self-love.
Melissa aims for direct, honest conversations in sessions. She invites people to talk about what is actually happening and to try practical steps between meetings. Sessions mix listening with thoughtful challenges so clients can notice patterns and try different responses.
She uses cognitive behavioral techniques to look at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. She also uses skills drawn from dialectical behavioral methods to build emotional regulation and coping tools. Melissa pays attention to how past and current relationships affect day-to-day life and choices.
In practical terms, she works on building skills that can be used outside the therapy hour. That can mean short behavioral experiments, clearer communication strategies, or new responses to triggers. Sessions are collaborative - goals and pacing are set together based on what feels useful.
People who come when they feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about next steps often focus on small, achievable changes at first. Melissa asks simple questions and offers concrete tools so clients can test what helps in their own lives. The subscription for sessions can be canceled at any time, and initial steps begin with a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a first session.
Approaches and working online
Melissa commonly draws on cognitive behavioral methods, which look at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and offer practical steps to change distressing patterns. This approach can help with anxiety, depression, and impulsive reactions.She also uses techniques from dialectical behavior approaches to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer interpersonal skills. These tools are useful for managing strong emotions, practicing new responses, and improving communication under stress.
Choosing the right method is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which techniques to try based on current concerns, goals, and preferences, and will adjust the approach as needed.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-in sessions when needed. It can also accommodate people who prefer not to be on camera or who need flexible scheduling, depending on the formats offered.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
Connecticut
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, low self-esteem, depression, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, anger, and coping with life changes.
How does she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
She uses direct conversation and concrete exercises to identify patterns and try small changes. Sessions combine listening with practical steps to test between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has four years of experience as a clinician working with the concerns listed in her profile.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a CT LCSW, which is a licensed clinical social worker credential in Connecticut.
In what language are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
What does therapy cost and how do payments work?
Cost varies with location and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin the process?
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, use the crisis numbers.