- Client-centered
- CBT strategies
- Practical skills
About Melissa
Melissa Averett is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Louisiana with 14 years of clinical experience. She trained with a master’s degree in education counseling and has worked in both residential and outpatient settings. Melissa focuses on practical steps clients can use to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and other everyday challenges.
She spent four years supporting women in a residential addiction recovery program and nine years providing outpatient counseling to adults. That mix of settings shaped her direct, skills-focused style. She helps people who are coping with life changes, grief, trauma, and relationship struggles find clearer next steps.
In sessions she centers the person first, building rapport before setting goals together. Melissa uses Client-Centered Therapy to understand each person’s priorities. She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including cognitive restructuring, to identify and change unhelpful thought patterns.
Practical skills are a core part of her work. She teaches healthy boundaries, assertive communication, and coping techniques. She also helps people work on self-esteem, decision-making, and managing strong emotions like anger.
Her approach is warm and empathic while staying focused on real-life changes. Melissa encourages clients to set achievable goals and practices new habits between sessions. People who want clear tools to manage thoughts, daily habits, and relationship patterns may find her approach helpful.
She spent four years supporting women in a residential addiction recovery program and nine years providing outpatient counseling to adults. That mix of settings shaped her direct, skills-focused style. She helps people who are coping with life changes, grief, trauma, and relationship struggles find clearer next steps.
In sessions she centers the person first, building rapport before setting goals together. Melissa uses Client-Centered Therapy to understand each person’s priorities. She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including cognitive restructuring, to identify and change unhelpful thought patterns.
Practical skills are a core part of her work. She teaches healthy boundaries, assertive communication, and coping techniques. She also helps people work on self-esteem, decision-making, and managing strong emotions like anger.
Her approach is warm and empathic while staying focused on real-life changes. Melissa encourages clients to set achievable goals and practices new habits between sessions. People who want clear tools to manage thoughts, daily habits, and relationship patterns may find her approach helpful.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementBipolar disorderCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Experience
14+ years
Credentials
Louisiana
Languages
English
How Melissa Uses Client-Centered and CBT Online
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's priorities. The therapist follows the client's lead, helps set goals, and offers empathy while people talk through what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts affect feelings and actions; it includes exercises to identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors to see what helps.Finding the right approach is part of the work itself. Melissa collaborates with clients to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. She helps people try tools from both approaches and adjusts the plan as progress and preferences become clear.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session formats before booking since formats were not listed in the original biography. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. They also let people practice new skills in everyday routines and bring real-life examples into sessions. Talk with the therapist about scheduling and any practical needs when you complete the matching questionnaire.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Melissa address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, trauma, relationship and family problems, sleep issues, parenting challenges, ADHD, and related concerns.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is warm and person-centered, with a focus on teaching practical skills and changing unhelpful thoughts through cognitive techniques.
What is her professional background?
Melissa has 14 years of experience, including four years in residential addiction recovery and nine years in outpatient counseling for adults.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Louisiana.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin therapy?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.