Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening to you, my potential client! I am enthusiastic and grateful you chose to reach out for help through the BetterHelp online platform. Your motivation and bravery shows strength in reaching out for help today. I want to promote and encourage a safe space for you through this platform, in which we can accomplish some amazing things together and work towards your greatest goals. My name is Melissa and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of FL. I am also trained and certified in Suicide Prevention. I absolutely love what I do in the counseling field and I cannot wait to begin this therapeutic journey with you! I obtained my BA from the University of Miami where I majored in Psychology. I then went on to obtain my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Nova Southeastern University. I began my career working at Kids in Distress, where I saw children, teens, young adults, families and couples struggling with anxiety, family dynamics, behavioral issues, relationship issues, trauma, intimacy, and depression. After working in the outpatient settings, I began to work within inpatient settings at two different hospitals. In the hospital setting, I currently see patients struggling with a wide range of many different disorders and of varying ages and backgrounds: substance abuse, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, psychosis, and many other stressors and life changes. I also work with families and work on family dynamics/conflicts with individuals that I see. During our therapeutic processing together, you will be the driver in the front seat, guiding where you would like to go and how you would like to get there. I believe in a person-centered approach. I will be a “backseat driver”, assisting you in getting wherever you would like to go at the pace you would like to get there. During our therapeutic journey together, I would like to encourage a zone of openness, honesty, and a zone free of judgment and biases. I also align myself with solution focused brief therapy, where we can immediately begin to set and process some realistic short term and long term goals to optimize your overall and optimal well-being and happiness. Using cognitive behavioral therapy, I may also challenge your negative thinking with some positivity and thoughts filled with hopefulness. Please feel free to message me with any questions you may have! I am motivated and ready to get started…are YOU?