About Melissa
Melissa Hepburn is a counsellor who supports people facing stress, anxiety, grief and relationship difficulties. She is BACP registered, and she aims to make therapy feel approachable and manageable. Her style is warm and non-judgemental, with an emphasis on listening first and then helping people find practical ways forward.
Before moving into independent practice she worked in a bereavement service, supporting people after a death and helping them find ways to cope.
Background and approach
That role shaped how she sits with loss and strong emotions, and she draws on that experience when people bring grief and related issues to sessions. She also has experience with post-traumatic stress, panic and general anxiety, and with gender dysphoria. Melissa pays attention to each person’s unique circumstances and adapts her approach rather than using one fixed method.
She aims to create a calm space where difficult memories and feelings can be spoken about without judgement. Relationship work is part of her practice. She sees people individually and also meets couples together when that is helpful, focusing on clear communication and finding practical next steps.
Sessions look at patterns, everyday interactions and what changes could ease tension. Other areas she supports include body image, chronic pain and illness, addiction, isolation, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, self-harm, sexual trauma and issues around self-worth. She offers sessions in English and works with clients across the United Kingdom and internationally.
Evidence-based approaches and online support
Melissa draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that help with anxiety, trauma and relationship strain. One approach focuses on managing symptoms of panic and anxiety through breathing, grounding and step-by-step exposure to feared situations to reduce avoidance. Another approach centres on processing traumatic memories and their effects on daily life by helping people make sense of distressing events and learn safer ways to cope.Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist will work together with each person to choose techniques that match their goals and preferences. That collaborative process includes checking how methods are working and adjusting them if needed.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people use visual cues similar to in-person work. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in. Live chat and text messaging suit shorter updates, ongoing support between sessions, or anyone who prefers typing over talking. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, appointments and daily life.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Melissa help with?
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How much experience does she have?
What credentials and location are listed?
Which languages are supported?
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Body image
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Experience
- 4 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English
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