About Melanie
Melanie Fikse is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) based in California. She helps people who are worn down by stress, anxiety, mood shifts, grief, trauma, or relationship pain. Her steady manner aims to help clients feel heard and begin to take practical steps toward feeling better.
Melanie uses a trauma-informed, client-centered style. Sessions focus on what matters to each person and on building useful skills for daily life. She draws on approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to address thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that get in the way.
Background and approach
Her work includes support for people coping with bipolar and depressive symptoms, addictions, compassion fatigue, and complex grief. She also supports those dealing with abandonment, codependency, shame, impulsivity, and isolation. Melanie pays attention to how past experiences shape current patterns and helps people try new ways of relating to themselves and others.
Melanie earned a master’s degree from New York University and has spent many years doing community mental health work and clinic-based practice. She has practiced in both New York City and rural California, bringing experience in diverse settings to her sessions. Therapy with Melanie blends practical skills training and grounding tools with a warm, down-to-earth presence.
Clients can expect straightforward strategies, reflective listening, and collaborative planning to address life changes and persistent emotional pain.
Approach and Online Care That Fits Your Life
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, avoidance, and periods of low motivation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying thought and behavior patterns that keep problems going and then practicing changes to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. Trauma-Focused Therapy centers on understanding how past hurts affect current reactions and teaches ways to reduce trauma-related distress and increase safety in daily life.Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Melanie works collaboratively to figure out what feels most useful based on a person's goals, history, and preferences. She adjusts methods over time so sessions match what is actually helping.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls are close to an in-person visit and allow face-to-face conversation. Phone sessions can fit a break at work or be easier when video is not preferred. Live chat and text-based messaging are helpful for shorter check-ins, quick skill practice, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to maintain regular work on stress, anxiety, trauma, and mood-related concerns while fitting therapy into a busy life.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Codependency
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Mood disorders
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 12 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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