Therapists in Maine

Welcome! I am glad you are here.  I acknowledge the courage it takes to be open to the therapeutic process. I believe self-compassion is at the heart of our work together and is a powerful step in the healing journey. My goal is to support you in greeting pain in order to make greater space for the life you desire. I strive to tailor our sessions to meet your needs, honor your strengths, and welcome you wherever you are.

I counsel from a wellness perspective and seek to meet my clients where they are in their personal journey.

No matter who and where we are in our lives, it seems we all "have our stuff." And that's exactly what has drawn me to my life work. Whether sitting with a couple in my office or a group onsite, I offer hope where you may feel there is none, as well as the simple grace and permission to be human. Clients, colleagues, and friends have often expressed that my calming and authentic yet professional communication style naturally provides the necessary tools to build trusting and work-ready relationships. I hold a great deal of respect for my clients and am honored to be a catalyst in promoting their growth and self-empowerment.

Life is hard. That's an understatement if there ever was one. We're bombarded with images of joyful, fulfilled people online and we might wonder what their secret is. In our culture, we learn to put on a happy face. We aren't allowed to struggle or feel down. As a therapist, this is part of what drives me - to normalize the suffering that is inherent in human life. And to assist people in finding ways to cope.

Hello. I am a grief therapist in Portland. I work with adults that are experiencing the loss of a loved one. When we experience loss, we experience grief. Grief is a natural process that at some point in time affects each of us. Grief is painful. Compassion and empathy are at the heart of my grief practice. My intention is to meet you, the griever, wherever you may be on your journey of sorrow and loss. There is no road map for the grieving process. It is my hope that as you share your journey of loss that a new pathway may be forged whereby you regain your footing to a path of peace and resolution.

Melissa is a Maine born native with clinical roots stemming from Boston to Portland, providing outpatient treatment to people in need of mental health service. With two decades of experience working in social services; and over a decade of clinical experience, Melissa is confident in her training and knowledge on how to deliver informed, yet compassionate treatment. Melissa currently offers outpatient counseling to people across the life spectrum struggling to function with anxiety, depression, and grief.

I meet people where they are on their path in life, and provide a safe space with emotional and intellectual support grounded in these principles: Genuineness / No judgment and unconditional acceptance, regardless of what is shared / Active, deep listening with empathy, understanding and compassion / Experienced, skilled support with practical feedback and insights / Assistance in exploring, identifying and working towards meaningful personal goals / Helping people address current and/or past life challenges such as depression, anxiety, grief, stress, anger, and trauma.

My approach to counseling and consulting draws from rich traditions of spirituality, energy healing, and psychology. My framework is TRANSFORMATIONAL in nature, insight-oriented, purposeful, and achieving wholeness from a personal or spiritual perspective. I am trained in both the behavioral sciences and religion. My goal is to provide therapeutic services to individuals and groups for all ages. I respect the dignity and worth of every person and consider it a privilege to WELCOME and ACCOMPANY people on their journey as challenging situations come up. Trained as a Pastoral Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist, and Spiritual Director, my modality is eclectic.

My approach to therapy is relational, collaborative and in-depth. I specialize in working with adolescents and adults who have anxiety and depression, symptoms of trauma, relational challenges and clients who have suffered from a traumatic loss as well as those looking for self exploration. Together, we will cultivate kindness and curiosity for your experiences, thoughts, and emotions.

My approach is always designed for your specific needs. Sometimes short-term therapy is enough to resolve an issue but if longer term sessions are needed for a chronic or more complex challenge, I can provide that too. My specialized training and experience include dreamwork, psychoanalysis and play therapy, including an appreciation of the role of your nervous system. I am a gender-affirming and polyamory -affirming therapist committed to helping you develop insights necessary to understand your behavior, relieve your pain and move beyond whatever is holding you back. Together we will get to the root of what is bothering you.

You are the source of your own strength. There are times, however, when you may need help in accessing your internal Self. We all need to feel a sense of balance with ourselves, connection to others, and the freedom to make choices. When we lose touch with these parts of ourselves - whether it is our independence, sense of control, spirituality, sexuality, family connection, or ethnicity - we may experience stress, fear, anxiety, and even a loss of meaning in life.

Welcome! My practice focuses on supporting new Mom’s, parents, couples and individuals navigating the dating world. I’m also trained and certified in grief and loss and have experience supporting people moving through neonatal, newborn or child loss, loss of a parent, spouse, life partner or pet. I also have some experience in treating those moving through a diagnosis of prolonged grief. In addition, I have a special interest in supporting individuals and couples with ADHD and especially navigating ADHD within a relationship and I enjoy supporting folks around navigating the complexities of open and polyamorous relationships.

What are you looking for? Is it help making or adjusting to changes, better relationships, greater awareness of yourself and others, a more positive outlook and greater confidence, or something else? We will work within a safe, therapeutic relationship to help you get what you need to live a more authentic life. I work with trauma, mood disorders, life transitions, loss and grief, relationship issues, anger management, and self-esteem to name a few.

Welcome! Often, individuals enter counseling for specific concerns: relationship issues, substance use issues, depression, anxiety, trauma, or personal loss. Other times, individuals enter counseling with goals less easily defined: self-awareness, creating a more meaningful life, or personal empowerment. Whatever brings you to counseling today, I will work to provide a safe space for you to engage in the process of gaining self-awareness and creating positive change.

Many of us are struggling every day with feelings of sadness, low motivation, grief and depression to name a few. Anxiety has taken over many of our lives to the point we are unable to function or feel numb a lot of the time. You don't have to go this alone - I can help you navigate these struggles, develop copings strategies and have the life you deserve. I am a licensed clinical professional counselor whose passion is to create a safe space for you to express your feelings knowing you will not be judged or ridiculed. The relationship between you and your therapist is the key to having the best outcomes.

My clients are seeking relief from their mental and emotional ailments. They are typically contemplating changes they want to make and looking for someone to help motivate and hold them accountable, or they want someone to collaborate with to see what options are available. Therapy only works if there is a solid therapeutic relationship between the counselor and their client. If you're needing help and willing to let me walk with you for a bit on your journey, please reach out. I also offer clinical supervision for new or conditionally licensed counselors.

I am a minister as well as a clinical counselor. Faith as well as counseling can help a person or couple work through problems. I have had over 20 years of experience in both worlds and am comfortable working wherever you are. I use many modern therapeutic techniques but I can also root them in ancient faith traditions. My orientation is Christian. Along with my private practice in counseling, I am adjunct faculty at Bangor Seminary and teach Grief counseling, and Spirituality and Healing.

Counseling should be a welcoming space to build ourselves up from our current experiences and needs. Through a collaborative and trusting therapeutic relationship, I support individual growth, insight, and change. I work with adults and adolescents 16 years and older. My clinical focus is on life transitions, anxiety, experiences of grief and loss, trauma, and well as stress management. I individualized the work done in counseling to fit each person. This can often include learning of new skills, emotional regulation practices, exploring areas of need to invest in, using A.R.T. or tapping for nervous system reset.

My practice is designed to work with people who feel overwhelmed or "stuck" in their current life situation. I begin with the understanding that everyone has struggles from time to time with primary relationships, work situations, financial stressors, unforeseen change of life circumstances or unresolved grief and loss. Common effects are anxiety, unexplained depression or loss of confidence. When these effects spill over into other areas of function, affecting sleep, clear thinking or enjoyment of regular activities, it is time to do some therapeutic "work" to put things in perspective and be able to move forward.