- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
About Melissa
Melissa Brierley is a New York Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 10 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, career challenges, and life transitions. Melissa also addresses concerns such as body image, communication problems, divorce and separation, guilt and shame, loneliness, post-traumatic stress, women’s issues, and workplace difficulties.
She approaches sessions as a place to talk through what feels heavy and confusing. Melissa treats clients as the experts on their own lives and builds on the strengths they already have. Sessions focus on practical steps, clearer thinking, and skills to handle distressing moments.
Her work draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to examine unhelpful thoughts and patterns, and on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. She also uses psychodynamic ideas to look at how past experiences shape present feelings. When trauma is central, Trauma-Focused Therapy methods are incorporated to address its impact.
Melissa aims to help people break cycles of shame and guilt by naming feelings and learning different ways to respond. Conversations often include concrete strategies for coping, clearer communication, and planning small changes at work or home. The emphasis is on steady, practical progress rather than quick fixes.
Clients beginning with her complete a short intake to identify goals and priorities. From there she helps choose approaches and exercises that fit daily life and the issues at hand.
How her approaches translate to online work
Melissa commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Trauma-Focused Therapy in sessions. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce day-to-day anxiety and improve problem solving. Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on understanding and processing traumatic events to lessen their ongoing effects on mood and relationships.Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. She works with each person to match methods to their goals, symptoms, and preferences, adjusting the plan over time as needs change. Clients and therapist review what is helping and what to try next rather than sticking to a single method.
The practical benefits of doing sessions online should be confirmed before booking, since specific formats were not listed in the biography. Ask about session types when you sign up so you know how meetings are scheduled and delivered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a workday, require less travel, or allow shorter check-ins when that suits a busy schedule. Licensed professionals can use a range of therapeutic tools over video or phone, and Melissa will recommend exercises and skills to practice between meetings to support progress.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, career issues, and coping with life changes, among other concerns.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She names those feelings, looks at where they come from, and uses practical strategies to shift responses and reduce their daily impact.
What is her professional background?
She has 10 years of clinical experience working with adults in mental health settings and related care.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in New York and practices from that state.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats does she provide?
Confirm current session options before booking, as formats were not specified in the biography.
How are sessions billed?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin 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.