Melisa Maling, LCSW, CSW

Melisa Maling is a licensed social worker in Colorado with 33 years of experience. She helps people coping with trauma and abuse, grief and loss, low self-esteem, parenting challenges, and compassion fatigue. She aims to make the first steps toward change feel manageable and respectful.

She listens with sensitivity and adapts the conversation to what each person needs. Sessions focus on clear goals and practical steps. Melisa combines structured methods with a client-centered style so people can find what works for them.

Her work often addresses attachment and adoption or foster care concerns. She also supports people dealing with guilt, shame, forgiveness, and questions about life purpose. Workplace stress and women’s issues are part of her focus too.

Melisa uses a mix of approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, trauma-focused strategies, solution-focused tools, and motivational interviewing. That lets her match methods to a person’s situation rather than follow a single plan.

People can expect conversations that are direct and compassionate. She will help set achievable steps between sessions. The emphasis is on practical skills and steady progress toward clearer goals.

Approaches used online and how they help

Melisa commonly integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Trauma-Focused Therapy in online sessions. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments, which can help with low self-esteem, workplace stress, and daily coping. Trauma-Focused Therapy uses paced, supportive work to address the effects of trauma and abuse and to build safety and regulation skills.

She also draws on Client-Centered Therapy, which centers on listening and following the person's lead so therapy matches their pace and needs. Choosing the right combination of approaches is a collaborative process; the therapist and client will discuss goals and preferences and adjust methods as progress is made.

Online formats available include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face interaction for skills practice and coaching. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat or text-based messaging can support brief updates, quick tools between sessions, or flexible check-ins during a busy week. These options let people fit therapy into work and family schedules while working with a licensed professional.