About Melanie
Melanie McClellan is a licensed clinical social worker who helps adults who feel worn down by worry, intrusive thoughts, or persistent stress. She meets people where they are and focuses on practical steps to reduce anxiety and regain a sense of control.
Her work often centers on anxiety and obsessive thoughts, and she also supports people facing grief, relationship strain, or major life changes. Melanie uses clear, structured methods aimed at changing unhelpful patterns and building coping skills.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on small, achievable goals so progress feels real. Melanie has eight years of clinical experience. She brings that background to everyday problems like workplace stress, isolation, caregiver strain, and the shame or guilt that can follow separation or loss.
Her approach emphasizes learning tools that can be applied between sessions. In therapy people can expect a mix of conversation and guided practice. Melanie helps clients notice how thoughts and behaviors keep problems going, then tries out different ways to respond.
Over time the goal is to reduce the mental noise and make decisions with more confidence. She offers sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text messaging to fit different schedules. Melanie is based in Virginia and sees clients in English.
Evidence-based approaches and online care
Melanie commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce anxiety and improve daily functioning. Sessions include practical exercises and real-world practice to change patterns that keep problems going.She also uses Exposure and Response Prevention for obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. That approach involves gradual, guided practice facing feared situations or thoughts while resisting compulsive responses, which helps decrease anxiety over time.
Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Melanie works collaboratively to match techniques to each person's goals, needs, and pace. She checks in regularly and adjusts strategies based on what helps most.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face work and visual cues, phone sessions can fit a commute or a short break, live chat and messaging let people check in between meetings or use therapy without being on camera. These options make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life while keeping therapy focused and practical.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Experience
- 8 years
- Licensed
- Virginia
- Languages
- English
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