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MM Portrait of Melissa Maaske
Online therapist

Melissa Maaske

Calm, practical support for daily struggles

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Credentials
LICSW
Experience
10 years
Licensed in
Minnesota
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Melissa

Melissa Maaske is a licensed independent clinical social worker with 10 years of experience in Minnesota. She focuses on common struggles such as stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and self esteem. Melissa aims to make the first steps toward therapy feel manageable and respectful.

She speaks plainly and treats people with compassion and straightforward care. In sessions she listens first to understand what feels most urgent. She helps clients sort through overwhelming feelings and decide practical steps.

Background and approach

Melissa uses a mix of established methods like cognitive behavioral strategies and solution-focused work to address patterns and day-to-day problems. She can also draw on dialectical skills and motivational interviewing when emotions or change feel stuck. Her approach is collaborative and down-to-earth.

She will talk through options and try small experiments to see what helps. The focus is on clearer thinking, steadier moods, and better communication skills you can use at home. Melissa has worked with concerns across many areas including grief, addictions, body image, caregiving stress, and attachment-related issues.

She also supports people navigating life changes, divorce and separation, and work-related stress. Her background informs a practical style that aims to reduce overwhelm and improve functioning. If you want straightforward, respectful help with stress, anxiety, relationships, or related concerns, Melissa offers a calm collaborative space to begin sorting things out.

How Melissa’s Approaches Work Online

Melissa commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused work in online sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with clearer, more useful ones to reduce anxiety and depression. Solution-focused therapy concentrates on small, practical steps and strengths that can change day-to-day life quickly.

She also draws on dialectical behavior therapy skills when emotional regulation and strong reactions get in the way. DBT skills teach ways to manage intense feelings, tolerate distress, and improve communication in relationships. These approaches are chosen to match the problem at hand and the client’s goals rather than as fixed prescriptions.

Finding the right approach is collaborative. Melissa will talk with clients about their goals and preferences, and then try methods that fit those needs. If something isn’t working, she adjusts the plan with the client so therapy stays practical and relevant.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy family and work schedules and allow follow-up between sessions when helpful. The variety of formats supports flexibility while keeping the focus on clear strategies and steady progress.

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.

Motivational Interviewing

A way of working through mixed feelings about change without being pushed. The therapist helps you weigh things up and find your own reasons, which often makes a difficult decision feel less stuck.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of issues does Melissa work with?
She addresses stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, self esteem, depression, addictions, LGBT concerns, family issues, grief, intimacy-related issues, eating concerns, anger, career stress, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and ADHD among other areas.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is direct and collaborative. She listens first, then helps clients try practical steps and small experiments to see what improves day-to-day functioning.
How long has she been practicing?
Melissa has 10 years of clinical experience working with a range of concerns and life transitions.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, MN LICSW 18331, practicing in Minnesota.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How are fees and getting started handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
10 years
Licensed
Minnesota
Languages
English

Next step

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