PuttingFamilyFirst

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MS Portrait of Melissa Strauss
Online therapist

Melissa Strauss

Practical help for family and parenting struggles

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Credentials
LPC
Experience
13 years
Licensed in
Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Melissa

Melissa Strauss is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 13 years of clinical experience. She focuses on family and parenting concerns alongside stress, anxiety, relationships, grief, self-esteem, depression, LGBT issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy, eating and sleeping problems, parenting, anger, career questions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and life transitions. Her style is warm, straightforward, and interactive.

She aims to help parents and partners find clearer ways to communicate and manage everyday struggles.

Background and approach

In sessions she listens first and then suggests practical steps to try between meetings. She uses exercises from cognitive behavioral therapy to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She draws on attachment-based ideas to map relationship patterns and to strengthen emotional connection.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy tools may be used to help couples talk about feelings without blame. Melissa treats each case as individual and adapts methods to fit a family’s needs. She respects what people already do well and builds on those strengths.

Conversations are intended to be direct but compassionate, with concrete skills for home life and parenting. Her LPC credential stands for Licensed Professional Counselor. Melissa works from Pennsylvania and provides services in English.

She accepts international clients and offers multiple online formats to make scheduling easier. Parents looking for focused help with relationship and family dynamics will find a practical partner in therapy. The aim is clearer communication, more predictable routines, and better ways to handle conflict and change.

Approaches that translate to online family and parenting work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts without getting stuck in them and then take small actions that match their values. It can be useful for parents and partners who feel overwhelmed by stress or uncertainty. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how past relationship patterns shape current interactions and offers ways to build safer, more predictable bonds between family members. This approach often helps with communication problems and blended family issues. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them through simple behavioral experiments, which can reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and change tense family routines.

Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. Melissa will work with each person or couple to pick methods that fit their goals, preferences, and day-to-day life. The plan can shift over time as needs change and progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options let families schedule shorter check-ins, follow up between sessions, or meet from home when childcare or travel is difficult. That practical access makes it easier to practice new skills in real life and keep momentum between appointments.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Looks at how early bonds shaped what you expect from closeness, and how that plays out now with a partner, a parent, or your own children.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, grief, parenting concerns, trauma and abuse, LGBT and gender dysphoria issues, eating and sleeping difficulties, and other life changes.
How does she approach therapy sessions?
Her style is warm and interactive. She listens first, then uses practical techniques from several approaches to build skills and improve daily routines.
What is her clinical background?
Melissa has 13 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. Her work includes areas like infertility, family dynamics, and sexual identity issues.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with licenses in Pennsylvania (PA LPC PC008592) and New Jersey (NJ LPC 37PC00767200), and she practices from Pennsylvania.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and she is available to work with international clients.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling a session based on therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
13 years
Licensed
Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Languages
English

Next step

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