- Collaborative approach
- Practical coping skills
- Strengths focused
About Melissa
Melissa Reighn is a licensed mental health counselor in New York with 15 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who feel stuck by offering steady, practical support. Melissa listens first and helps clients notice strengths they already have.
She commonly works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, self-esteem difficulties, ADHD, eating concerns, and bipolar mood issues. Additional areas she addresses include caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, communication problems, and codependency. Melissa aims to make the work manageable and relevant to day-to-day life.
Her style is direct and collaborative. She treats each person as the expert on their life and helps them try small changes that can make a big difference. Sessions tend to focus on realistic steps, coping strategies, and building on what already works for the client.
Melissa uses a mix of approaches to match each person’s needs. She draws on acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values, cognitive behavioral techniques to shift unhelpful thinking, and trauma-focused tools when past events are getting in the way. She also incorporates solution-focused strategies to set short-term goals.
People who prefer clear guidance and practical skills often find this approach helpful. Melissa supports movement toward a more manageable routine, better emotional balance, and clearer choices about next steps.
How Melissa’s approaches translate to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people get clearer about what matters most to them and then take small actions that line up with those values. It can be useful when anxiety, stress, or life transitions make choices feel confusing. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying new behaviors to change feelings and routines; it is often helpful for anxiety, stress, and mood concerns. EMDR is a trauma-focused approach that involves structured processing of past events and can help when trauma or abuse continues to affect daily life.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options and adapt methods to fit the client’s goals and preferences. That means trying a method for a few sessions, checking how it’s going, and shifting course if something isn’t helping.
If you are considering online sessions, confirm the current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow for consistent check-ins during life transitions. Licensed professionals can use the methods above to support progress even when meeting remotely, and Melissa will help tailor the plan to what fits your schedule and needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Credentials
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does Melissa commonly help with?
She supports people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting strain, low self-esteem, ADHD, eating concerns, and bipolar mood challenges, among other issues.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and practical, focusing on small, doable steps and drawing on the client’s own strengths to make change.
How much experience does she have?
Melissa has 15 years of professional work experience in mental health settings.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor, listed as NY LMHC, and practices in New York.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.