Melissa Maaske , LICSW

Melissa Maaske is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with ten years of practice in Minnesota. She focuses on common struggles like stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship strain, grief, and trauma. Her straightforward approach helps people who feel stuck or unsure where to start.

Melissa meets people where they are. She listens first, then helps identify small, actionable steps people can use right away. Sessions aim to make problems feel more manageable and choices clearer. She treats each person with respect and compassion.

Her work often includes practical tools drawn from therapies that focus on thoughts, behaviors, and present challenges. Melissa also uses conversational methods that help people find motivation and notice patterns from their past that still affect them today. She adapts her methods to the needs and goals of each person rather than following a single prescribed plan.

Clients come for a range of concerns including depression, addictions, eating and body image struggles, intimacy-related issues, anger, and career stress. She also supports people dealing with attachment issues, abandonment, blended family concerns, and caregiver stress. Melissa pays attention to how life changes and losses affect daily coping.

Sessions are available through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules. Melissa works in English and practices in Minnesota as an LICSW. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session based on therapist availability.

Approaches for change and how they work online

Melissa commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing to help people change unhelpful thoughts and build practical skills. CBT focuses on identifying thought patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Motivational Interviewing is a conversational style that helps people find internal reasons to make changes, which can be useful for addictions, career shifts, or moving through life transitions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Melissa collaborates with each person to match methods to their goals, comfort level, and pace. She adjusts techniques over time based on what feels most helpful and what produces real progress in daily life.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people work face-to-face without travel, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth or visual focus is limited, and live chat or text-based messaging suit short check-ins or days when writing feels preferable. These options make it easier to keep regular contact, practice skills between sessions, and fit therapy into busy schedules.