Melissa Guarnaccia, LISW-CP, LCSW

Melissa Guarnaccia is a licensed social worker who offers practical, action-focused therapy. She blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns. Melissa keeps sessions relaxed and nonjudgmental while helping clients set clear goals and take small steps forward.

She has eleven years of clinical experience in a range of settings, including hospitals, schools, and private practice. That background means she is familiar with both short-term problem solving and longer-term work. Melissa aims to make sessions straightforward and useful for everyday life.

Common topics she addresses include family conflict, parenting strain, self-esteem, grief, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, eating concerns, anger, career stress, and bipolar mood management. She offers tools for managing symptoms and for facing difficult decisions with more confidence.

Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her listed credentials are LISW-CP and LCSW.

She provides sessions from North Carolina and conducts therapy in English. Appointments are delivered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules. Melissa also brings a calm, down-to-earth presence to sessions and emphasizes collaborative progress.

Outside of work she enjoys time with her husband, two boys, and their pug Mabel, and she values travel and outdoor activities.

CBT and ACT approaches for online care

Melissa uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. In plain terms that often means identifying a few patterns that cause distress, testing new ways of thinking, and practicing small behavior changes between sessions. CBT is commonly applied to anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people live in line with their values while accepting difficult feelings. ACT focuses on noticing painful thoughts without getting ruled by them, clarifying what matters most, and taking steps toward those values. This approach can help with grief, relationship strain, and ongoing emotional pain.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Melissa will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped before, then adapt techniques over time. She encourages trying strategies and adjusting them based on what works for the individual.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video allows face-to-face conversation, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat and messaging support shorter check-ins or ongoing reminders between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or family schedules while keeping the focus on practical progress.