Somatic Therapists in Portland, ME

Currently away on maternity leave - I am here to help reconnect you to your inner voice and remember who you are. I am a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, social-justice oriented therapist. I center collective healing and self-liberation in my work, and I operate from a non-pathological and radically inclusive framework. But before all of that - I am a human. And I know you are too! I lead with authenticity and vulnerability, so you have the space to arrive just as you are. In my practice we’ll do just that: practice relational work together to help you build capacity, experience aliveness, heal, grow, and expand.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who practices with an authentic, compassionate and human centered approach. My hope is to work collaboratively with you to address areas of stress or challenge leading to increased connection and growth. I am trained in EMDR which I utilize for healing past trauma, gaining deeper connection to your present self, finding a sense of safety within, and adjust the cycle for the future.

My hope is to bring awareness to your past and present experiences to facilitate a true healing in moving forward. It is possible to move through darkness into your light. I have an understanding and awareness of psychological and somatic/body patterning to help resolve trauma from abuse, acute events, relationship/attachment struggles, grief/loss, chronic pain, self-esteem/love, life transitions, and faith based/spiritual needs. Life events and experiences shape the way we see ourselves and how we live out each day. I believe a person can connect their mind, body, senses, heart and soul to return to inner balance and health.

Are you ready to embark on a holistic healing journey that addresses not only your mental and emotional well-being but also the interconnectedness of your mind, body, spirit, and shadow? I am Melodi Hickey, a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to providing transformative holistic therapy to individuals seeking support in their healing journeys. With a profound specialization in trauma, depression, and anxiety, I am passionate about helping clients find solace, empowerment, and meaning in their lives.

Welcome to my practice. I offer comprehensive counseling services to individuals, couples, and relationship configurations of all kinds. Using a collaborative model, I partner with clients to address short and long-term concerns with compassion, understanding, and concrete tools/skills. I can be particularly helpful to those who are struggling with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, the effects of trauma, grief and loss, major life transitions, or interpersonal conflict, as well as those who would like to increase overall well-being and quality of life.

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.

Are you struggling with managing stress or the daily demands of life? Are you frequently caught in a reactive, irritable cycle or do you feel at a loss with how to regulate anxiety? Are you navigating a significant life transition, in a new season of life or perhaps feeling heavy with grief, or want to work through difficult life experiences that you have carried with you into the present? If any of this resonates with you, know that you are not alone in the struggle. More people than you realize feel similarly challenged, we just do not talk openly about this in our society.

Practice full at this time, thank you -I offer compassionate, experiential psychotherapy for adults, specializing in mindfulness-based and Internal Family Systems therapy for depression, anxiety and trauma. Honoring the dynamic mind-body relationship, I incorporate awareness-building, body-based practices to facilitate emotional, behavioral & cognitive expression, healing & growth, such as guided meditation, visualization & yoga-inspired breathwork and movement. I believe that bringing our full attention to our inner experiences with curiosity awakens a natural spring of self-compassion and an innate capacity for deep healing.

Do you want your life to include more authenticity and vitality?.I bring a wealth of experience, skill and compassion to my practice. Change is a constant and dealing with change inevitable. Dealing with loss and grief make up a large part of my practice. I consulted for many years with The Center for Grieving Children around individual and family issues regarding terminal illness and the loss of a loved one. I like working with the interface of therapy and recovery,adult ADD, gender and relationship issues, family of origin issues as they affect the present and concerns around aging.

Everyone needs space to process life, including its challenges and successes. I am here to help you do that. By using a holistic approach to your mental health, together we will explore aspects of your internal and external environment. We will discover what holds you back and ultimately what empowers you.

Many of us experience difficult times in our lives and taking the step to shift our thinking and gain skills to manage these challenges is a significant choice. I believe that when working together, a therapist and client can engage in a partnership where new skills are developed, distorted attitudes and beliefs are confronted and choices made to live a stronger, more intentional life are possible.

MY PRACTICE IS CURRENTLY FULL> . I believe that we all seek to be seen and known. Counseling is a place where we can be supported and reconnect to our strengths, flexibility and resourcefulness. My approach to helping you reconnect to your strengths incorporates mind-body awareness, and relational theory. We'll work in collaboration to help you regain the balance you need to meet your challenges. I offer clients many body based tools from my training in EMDR, AEDP, IFS, meditation, yoga, acupressure, and Attunement work as well as journaling, and spirituality exploration.

I am a white queer femme, seasoned social worker and therapist committed to learning and unlearning, interested in our collective and individual healing. I believe tending to our emotional health is a radical act because we live in a society that profits from feelings of self-doubt. When we care for ourselves, we can be more present for each other. My career has shown me over and over the power of vulnerability and the beauty of resiliency. I have a commitment to working within the LGBTQAI+ as well as supporting mental health and healthcare professionals/care workers/educators and organizers.

*I am currently full and not accepting new clients. Thank you for checking!** Our search for meaning in a world where so much is uncertain is one thing that unites us all. My goal, as an experienced psychotherapist , is to support each of my clients on their own journey. We will work together as partners. I strive to create a safe and warm place for my clients to explore this journey. I am commited to honest communication and to the uniqueness of each individual. I can help you with depression, anxiety, trauma, interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, grief, loss, and to increase your over-all well being.

We all struggle at times in our lives. Perhaps the root of that suffering is clear: a loss, a trauma, a life transition, or an illness. Sometimes the suffering is known; we know we feel anxious or depressed, but we are unsure of the cause. Perhaps we know in our hearts we are repeating patterns in relationships, work, behaviors or lifestyle that no longer serve us, yet we can't quite get unstuck. As a psychotherapist I guide my clients in a collaborative way to a place of connection, understanding, integration and growth.

Couples who are in crisis and anyone who desires to create a loving, lasting and joyfilled relationship will benefit from my approach which has Imago Relationship Therapy as its foundation. If you are ready for growing in relational maturity, I infuse my couples work with the deeply connecting and life affirming approach of Encounter Centered Couples Therapy. Clients receive a personalized approach as I integrate many therapeutic approaches that are beneficial in supporting the desired healing and growth. I utilize specialized approaches such as clinical hypnosis, DNMS and EMDR, to help with deeper healing when words alone do not provide the desired relief.

There are many paths to healing. My role as a therapist is to determine the approach that will work best for each client and to create the space for healing to occur. I understand the importance of balancing and integrating the emotional self, the thinking self and the physical self and have tools to intervene in each of these dimensions. I believe that for many, a root cause of suffering lies within the context of intimate relationships and that healing primary relationships can create healing within the self.

The world is currently facing unprecedented challenges that can cause an immense amount of mental health stress. I specialize in coercive control, narcissistic abuse, and covert abuse. I have training in CBT and DBT, specializing in understanding behavioral reactions and urges. Please get in touch with me to discuss the treatment that matches your emotional, mental, and financial needs.

“And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom “ Anaïs Nin. I use a "here and now" approach and believe therapy is a joint effort in healing emotional wounds so that my clients can live more fully and peacefully in their present life. I believe relationships are healing, and a strong connection and open dialogue is the most effective path toward change. It's important to find a therapist who makes you feel safe, valued and understood. Both my professional and personal experiences have demonstrated to me how challenges can be opportunities for personal growth