Melissa Patak, LPC

Melissa Patak is a licensed professional counselor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and related concerns. She focuses on practical support and skill building to make day-to-day life feel more manageable. Melissa speaks plainly and works alongside clients to set realistic goals and try new coping strategies.

She moved into counseling after a long career in the legal field and brings that real-world perspective to sessions. Melissa draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, client-centered techniques, and motivational interviewing to help people notice unhelpful thoughts, try different behaviors, and stay motivated to change. Sessions are collaborative and paced to each person’s needs.

Melissa also uses narrative and psychodynamic ideas when helpful, especially to understand patterns that repeat over time. She helps people sort through relationships, career stress, self-esteem issues, anger, and concerns related to identity. The work can include practical homework, reflective conversation, and gentle challenges to old habits.

Her style is direct but warm. She aims to create a straightforward space where clients can talk, try new skills, and track progress. Melissa brings four years of counseling experience and holds an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in Texas.

To begin, she guides people through a brief matching process and then schedules sessions that fit each person’s life. Therapy approaches and pacing are adjusted as goals evolve.

Therapeutic approaches adapted for online work

Melissa uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; this approach often includes clear exercises and short assignments to practice between sessions. She also uses client-centered therapy, which emphasizes listening, empathy and building a supportive relationship so clients can explore what matters most to them.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Melissa will discuss goals and preferences, try methods that fit the person's needs, and adjust the plan over time based on what helps most. Clients and the therapist review progress together and shift strategies as goals change.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can be a shorter check-in option, and text messaging supports ongoing reflection between meetings. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to try different session types to see what works best.