Melissa Reighn, LMHC

Melissa Reighn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in New York with 15 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, and mood-related concerns. Her work also includes support for parenting challenges, ADHD, eating struggles, and bipolar disorder.

She centers sessions on each person's story and strengths. She believes clients know themselves best and uses that knowledge to guide the work. Sessions are practical and focused on real steps people can use between meetings.

Melissa blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and client-centered techniques to help people change unhelpful patterns. She also uses trauma-focused tools, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing when needed, to address painful memories. The goal is to reduce symptoms and build coping skills that fit everyday life.

Her style is supportive and direct. She helps people set clear goals and track progress. Conversations often include skill practice, problem-solving, and ways to reframe thoughts that get in the way of feeling better.

Melissa works with adults facing a wide range of issues including caregiving stress, chronic illness, relationship communication, addiction concerns, grief, and life transitions. Sessions aim to help people regain balance, manage symptoms, and move toward the life they want.

How Melissa’s approaches work online

Melissa commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT sessions often include practical exercises, thought records, and behavior experiments that can be practiced between meetings. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is another tool she uses, which focuses on accepting difficult feelings while taking steps toward valued goals. ACT helps when avoidance or worry keeps someone from living the life they want.

She also uses client-centered techniques to create a respectful, listening-focused space. That approach helps people feel heard and encourages them to lead the topics that matter most. Together, therapist and client decide which methods fit best based on needs, goals, and personal preference; finding the right mix is treated as an ongoing, collaborative process.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video mimics in-person conversation and works well for skill practice that needs visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low or when a session fits into a short break. Text and live chat are useful for brief check-ins, quick coaching, or when someone prefers writing over speaking. These options offer flexibility so therapy can fit into busy schedules and different life demands.