- Client-centered approach
- Solution-focused steps
- Career guidance
About Melissa
Melissa Upton is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mississippi with 14 years of counseling experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, anger, self-esteem, parenting issues, trauma and abuse, ADHD, and major life changes. Melissa aims to create a calm space where people can talk through what matters most to them.
Before moving into more one-on-one counseling, she spent many years in the public school system and worked directly with adolescents on anger management, coping skills, anxiety, relationship issues, and academic and career planning. That background informs how she approaches everyday problems now.
Her work is grounded in a client-centered style. That means she starts by listening and helping people set the goals that matter to them. She also uses solution-focused ideas to help identify small, practical steps toward those goals.
Melissa draws on career tools such as the RIASEC model and John Holland’s career inventory when academic or job concerns come up. She encourages practical self-help skills alongside conversations in the session, so people leave with clear next steps.
She describes counseling as a respectful, compassionate process where people can work through conflicts and build balance. Melissa welcomes the chance to support someone ready to begin making changes and finding clearer direction in life.
How Melissa’s Approaches Work Online
Client-centered therapy starts by focusing on the person rather than a fixed plan. The therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps people identify their own goals and values. This approach helps with relationship concerns, self-esteem, anxiety, and other issues where being heard matters most.Solution-focused therapy looks for practical steps that move a person toward their goals. Sessions often spotlight small changes and strategies that can be tried between meetings, which can be useful for stress, anger, career decisions, and coping with life changes.
Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the work. Melissa will collaborate with each person to figure out which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. She checks in and adjusts the plan as progress is made.
If you want to use online therapy, confirm the available session formats before booking. The main advantage is fitting sessions into a busy life - therapy can be scheduled around work, school, or parenting demands. Online work also makes shorter check-ins and focused problem-solving sessions easier to arrange when needed. Licensed professionals, including Melissa, can help people apply practical tools at home and practice new skills between sessions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Listed in
Mississippi
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Melissa address?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, anger, self-esteem, trauma and abuse, ADHD, parenting and life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centered and collaborative, with a focus on listening first and helping people set their own goals.
What experience does she bring?
Melissa has 14 years of counseling experience and many more years working in Mississippi public schools with adolescents.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds a Master of Science and the title LPC, and she practices in Mississippi.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What does therapy cost and how are sessions billed?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin sessions with Melissa?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.