- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
About Melissa
Melissa Vallia is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana with four years of counseling experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, parenting challenges, depression, and coping with life changes. She also focuses on communication problems, divorce and separation, forgiveness, guilt and shame, social anxiety and workplace issues.
Her background includes a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Counseling from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. She has experience in multiple helping roles, including time as a Chaplain Assistant in the U.S. Air Force and work with community organizations. That experience shaped why she chose counseling after facing personal loss.
In sessions she keeps conversation straightforward and practical. She uses client-centered principles to listen and follow the person's lead. She also uses cognitive behavioral ideas to spot unhelpful thinking patterns and solution-focused steps to try small, manageable changes.
She has worked with individuals, couples, and groups, and has offered telehealth services in the past. Her work centers on respectful, sensitive interaction and on helping people move from where they are toward goals they set for themselves.
If someone is carrying guilt or shame, she offers a setting to talk through how those feelings show up. She helps people identify thoughts and actions that keep those feelings active and considers small actions that can reduce their day-to-day weight.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting what someone says. Online sessions can keep the same focus, allowing the therapist to follow the client's lead and ask questions that clarify feelings and needs.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify patterns of thought that increase anxiety or guilt and tests different ways of thinking. In telehealth sessions those patterns are named, tracked, and given simple homework to practice between meetings.
Solution-Focused Therapy looks for small, practical steps that create change right away. Online meetings can review short experiments and adjust them quickly so progress can be noticed in daily life.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to choose methods based on goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. That choice can change over time as needs shift.
Confirm the specific session formats available before booking. The biography notes past use of telehealth and in-person work, but current options should be verified. Online appointments can make it easier to fit sessions around work, reduce travel time, or use a shorter check-in when needed.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
Louisiana, Arkansas
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, parenting challenges, depression, and coping with life changes, plus related issues like guilt and shame.
How would she approach shame or guilt?
She uses client-centered conversation to hear your experience, CBT to identify thinking patterns, and solution-focused steps to test small changes.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has four years of counseling experience and has provided services in office, group, and telehealth settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and practices in Louisiana with licensure in LA and AR.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available with her?
The original biography mentions telehealth and in-office work in past experience; confirm current session options before booking.
How are costs handled for sessions?
Session cost varies with location and services, 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 then 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.