Melissa Benson , LMHC, LCMHC

Melissa Benson is a licensed mental health counselor with 24 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, addictions, and the ups and downs of major life changes. Melissa focuses on women's issues among other concerns and aims to create a respectful, compassionate space for conversation.

Her style is direct and practical. Conversations are tailored to each person so sessions focus on what matters most to them. Melissa uses clear techniques to help people manage symptoms, improve daily routines, and rebuild hope after loss or big transitions.

Melissa draws on client-centered counseling to keep the person's goals in the lead. She also uses cognitive behavioral approaches to identify unhelpful thinking and build new coping skills. Mindfulness strategies and solution-focused steps are added when they match a client's needs.

Over two decades of practice give her experience with a wide range of concerns, including trauma and intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping struggles, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and relationship or communication problems. She also supports people dealing with aging and geriatric topics or complicated family dynamics.

Sessions are offered in English and are available through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Melissa is licensed as an LMHC in Florida and as an LCMHC in Utah, and she adapts methods to fit each person's situation and preferences.

Approaches and how they work online

Melissa uses client-centered therapy to keep the conversation focused on each person's priorities and lived experience; this approach helps people feel heard and guides treatment by their goals. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is used to spot patterns of thinking that worsen mood or anxiety and to practice concrete skills that change behavior and feeling.

Deciding which method fits best is a team effort. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and how they like to work. That collaboration shapes the plan and lets methods be adjusted over time as needs change.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video sessions let people use visual cues during deeper work, phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is low, live chat supports shorter check-ins, and messaging lets someone keep a running conversation or check in between appointments. These options help therapy fit into busy lives and different routines.