- Client-centered approach
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- DBT skills coaching
About Melanie
Dr. Melanie Brown is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Virginia with 12 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, and depression. Her practice also addresses guilt and shame, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, somatization, and issues common to young adults.
She approaches therapy from a client-centered perspective, which means she values the person's own knowledge of their life. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to strengthen emotion regulation and distress tolerance.
In early sessions she focuses on what matters most to the person and on practical steps that can be tried between meetings. Sessions often include short, concrete exercises and question-and-answer about how those ideas might fit into daily life. She encourages people to bring what they already know about themselves into the work.
Dr. Brown frames guilt and shame as common responses that can affect mood, relationships, and daily routines. She helps people break down overwhelming feelings into specific moments, thoughts, and behaviors to make them more manageable. Conversations include noticing patterns and testing small changes to see what helps.
Her style aims to be straightforward and respectful. She helps people identify strengths and next steps, and she supports practical goal-setting for improving day-to-day functioning.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Dr. Brown commonly uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person's own goals and perspectives, with the therapist listening and reflecting to help the person clarify what matters. CBT involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavioral experiments to change patterns that maintain anxiety or depression.She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills when emotional regulation and distress tolerance are needed. DBT skills are practical tools for managing intense feelings, reducing impulsive reactions, and improving day-to-day coping.
Finding the right mix of these approaches is a collaborative process. She will work with the person to decide which methods fit their goals, preferences, and current struggles. That decision can shift over time as needs change and small tests show what helps.
The original biography did not specify which session formats are offered. Confirm the available online session formats before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow brief check-ins or focused skill practice between other responsibilities.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem concerns, and depression. Additional focus areas include guilt and shame, OCD symptoms, panic, and young adult issues.
How would she approach guilt or shame in sessions?
She breaks down overwhelming feelings into specific thoughts and moments and uses practical exercises to test new ways of responding. The work emphasizes noticing patterns and trying small changes between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 12 years of professional experience working in mental health settings. That experience includes helping people with anxiety, trauma, depression, and related issues.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Virginia. Her practice is located in Virginia.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats does she provide?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
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 or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.