Melissa Averett, LPC

Melissa Averett is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Louisiana with 14 years of experience. She earned a Master Degree in Education Counseling from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2008 and has worked in both residential settings supporting women in recovery and in outpatient counseling with adults facing a broad range of mental health challenges.

She uses a client-centered approach to build rapport, help clients clarify their needs, and set achievable goals. Melissa also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and cognitive restructuring to help people identify, dispute, and reframe maladaptive thoughts into healthier beliefs. Her clinical work addresses concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, trauma related to divorce, relationship and family difficulties, addictions, grief, parenting challenges, sleep problems, anger, and attention concerns.

Melissa emphasizes practical skills in therapy, teaching healthy boundaries, ways to improve self-esteem, understanding choices and consequences, healthy coping strategies, and assertive communication to strengthen relationships. She aims to bring warmth and empathy to the therapeutic process while supporting clients as they work through difficult issues toward their goals.

Client-Centered and CBT Support Through Online Care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on building a respectful, empathetic relationship in which the therapist follows the client’s lead to clarify needs and goals. This approach is helpful for people who are working through relationship concerns, low self-esteem, life transitions, or the emotional impact of events like divorce.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and cognitive restructuring involve identifying unhelpful thought patterns, testing their accuracy, and replacing them with more balanced beliefs. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, stress management, and for developing practical coping skills.

Choosing the right therapeutic approach is part of the collaborative process. Melissa will work with each person to determine which strategies fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she may blend techniques from both client-centered work and CBT to best support progress.

Online therapy offers flexibility by allowing sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit counseling into busy schedules, continue care during life changes, and access support from home or other convenient locations with licensed professionals and therapists who can adapt methods to the online format.