PuttingFamilyFirst

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MC Portrait of Melissa Cumella
Online therapist

Melissa Cumella

Calm, practical support for real-life parenting challenges

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Credentials
LPC
Experience
5 years
Licensed in
Arizona
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Melissa

Melissa Cumella is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Arizona with five years of experience. She uses straightforward, practical talk to help people facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, career challenges, depression, and parenting concerns. She frames clients as the experts in their own lives and looks for strengths to build on.

Seeking help can feel hard, and she aims to make that first step easier and less overwhelming. In sessions she focuses on clear goals and everyday skills.

Background and approach

She teaches ways to manage anxious thoughts and to handle strong emotions without getting stuck. Melissa draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques to give simple tools clients can try between sessions. Her style is warm and direct.

She listens closely and helps people break big problems into smaller, manageable steps. Clients can expect practical strategies, emotion regulation skills, and coaching around real-life situations like work stress or changes at home. Melissa also addresses grief, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, anger, and compassion fatigue.

She helps people cope with life changes and build routines that support mental health. Work is collaborative - she and the client decide what to focus on and adjust the plan as needed. Sessions may include skill practice, problem-solving, and checking what is or isn’t working.

The aim is to leave each session with at least one concrete thing to try. Over time those small changes add up to clearer thinking and steadier emotional responses.

How CBT and DBT translate to online support

Melissa uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice thought patterns that make stress and low mood worse. CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to get different results. Dialectical Behavior Therapy adds practical emotion regulation and coping skills for managing intense feelings and improving day-to-day functioning.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Melissa will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. They will try techniques and adjust the plan based on what helps in real life, so therapy stays practical and relevant.

Online sessions are available by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to use skills between sessions. The variety of formats also allows people to choose ways of communicating that feel most comfortable while working on stress, anxiety, parenting concerns, and life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Melissa commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, self-esteem, career difficulties, depression, parenting matters, grief, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, anger, and compassion fatigue.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is warm and direct, focusing on clear goals and practical tools. She helps clients break problems into manageable steps and practices skills in session.
What is her background and experience?
She holds a License as a Professional Counselor and has five years of professional experience working with a range of stress and mood-related concerns.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
Melissa is licensed in Arizona as an LPC with licence number AZ LPC LPC-21459.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How are sessions billed or priced?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling based on the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
5 years
Licensed
Arizona
Languages
English

Next step

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