Melissa Averett, LPC

Melissa Averett is a Licensed Professional Counselor who brings 14 years of clinical experience to her work. She earned a master's degree in education counseling from Southeastern Louisiana University and has spent time supporting people in both residential and outpatient settings. Melissa focuses on practical steps people can take to feel more in control of their daily life.

Melissa spent four years working in a residential program helping women in recovery from addiction. She then provided outpatient counseling for nine years, supporting adults with a wide range of struggles and mental health concerns. That mix of settings shaped a straightforward, skills-based approach.

Her style centers on building rapport and listening first. She uses Client-Centered Therapy to help people name their goals and decide what matters most to them. From there she often draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and try out different ways of responding.

Sessions commonly include practical skills training. Melissa teaches healthy boundary setting, ways to improve self-esteem, and assertive communication. She also works on coping strategies for stress, sleeping problems, anger, and the emotional aftermath of divorce and loss.

People who prefer a warm, direct counselor who focuses on real-life changes may find her approach a good match. She aims to be empathic while helping people practice new thoughts and behaviors that fit their goals.

How her approaches guide online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping a person set their own goals. It is useful when someone needs space to sort feelings, decide priorities, and build a trusting relationship with a therapist.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, skills-based approach that looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It helps people identify unhelpful thoughts, try different interpretations, and practice actions that reduce distress or improve daily functioning.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and how they respond to different techniques. Together they adjust methods over time so sessions are useful and relevant to the client's life.

Confirm the exact session options before booking since formats were not specified in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow check-ins that focus on specific skills or problem-solving. It can also accommodate shorter touchpoints when time is limited, or steady weekly sessions when more practice is needed.