Eva "Melissa" Gadd, LMSW

Eva "Melissa" Gadd welcomes people who are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to turn. She uses straightforward conversation to help clients sort priorities and find steps that fit their life. Melissa holds a Master of Social Work and brings 25 years of experience to each session.

She has worked in medical settings and traditional therapy roles, so she is used to helping people through health changes and caregiving stress. She also supports folks facing depression, anxiety, grief, relationship strain, addiction concerns, and career or life transitions. Her approach aims to build on a person’s strengths while offering practical strategies.

Sessions emphasize clear goals and simple tools. Melissa often uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop different responses. She also draws on client-centered methods to listen and follow what feels most important to each person.

Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are part of her toolkit when clients want to increase awareness or find motivation for change. Melissa mentions a Person In Environment perspective, which means she looks at how work, family, health, and community shape what someone experiences. That view helps make interventions relevant to daily life.

Her practice is based in Michigan and she works with people in English. She offers a calm, steady style and aims to help clients take manageable steps toward their goals.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following each person's priorities; online sessions let the therapist collaborate with clients on goals and pacing. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people notice thoughts and try different behaviors, which works well via video or messaging when clients practice exercises between sessions. Emotionally-focused ideas help people understand and name strong feelings, and those conversations can be effective over video or phone where a calm, steady presence matters.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Melissa will discuss what matters most to the client, try methods that fit their goals, and adjust as needed. That collaborative process helps identify whether cognitive techniques, mindfulness, or motivational strategies are the best next step.

Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules. Video calls allow face-to-face work and behavioral exercises, phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is low or a shorter check-in is needed, and live chat or text messaging can support brief check-ins, homework prompts, or moment-to-moment coaching. These options give flexibility for different days and needs while keeping the focus on steady progress.