Melanie Roum , LCSW

Melanie Roum is a licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of experience. She focuses on practical tools to manage stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and life changes. Melanie centers care on each person's strengths and choices. She speaks English and practices in Louisiana.

Melanie sees problems like trauma, family-of-origin issues, attachment concerns, and relationship struggles as things people can work through with steady effort. She also helps with parenting strain, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, chronic illness or pain, and coping after divorce or separation. Her background includes supporting people facing domestic violence, substance use, eating issues, and co-occurring conditions.

In sessions she draws on acceptance and commitment work, cognitive behavioral ideas, dialectical behavior approaches, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing. That means sessions often include short exercises, values-focused planning, and practical skill practice you can use between meetings. She aims for straightforward conversations and clear steps rather than jargon.

Melanie respects clients' beliefs and may incorporate faith-based perspectives when they are meaningful to the person seeking help. She encourages people to notice what matters to them and to use their strengths in making change. Her style is supportive and goal-oriented, with attention to real-life routines and relationships.

To begin, she asks people to identify a few priorities and to try small experiments between meetings. Over time those steps are reviewed and adjusted. This approach helps people build momentum while addressing immediate concerns and longer-term growth.

Therapeutic approaches that translate well to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions that match those values. It often includes simple exercises to shift attention and build meaningful habits, which can be practiced between sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life behavior changes, using homework and brief tools to track progress and mood. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills through step-by-step practice and coaching skills in daily life.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, try techniques, and adjust plans together so the method fits the person's needs and preferences. That collaborative process helps decide whether ACT, CBT, DBT, or a mix is the best path forward.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to use a camera. Live chat and text messaging are helpful for brief check-ins, homework review, or arranging quick coaching between visits. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or health schedules while keeping focus on practical progress.