Melissa Elliott, LMHC

Melissa Elliott, who often goes by Leesa, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in Florida with more than 30 years of professional experience. She respects the courage it takes to seek counseling and aims to help people find greater peace, happiness, and balance in their lives. Leesa emphasizes practical, skills-based work that adds useful tools to a person's existing toolkit so those skills can be applied in current situations and in the future.

One of her primary approaches is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which examines how thoughts and feelings influence behavior and decision making. She believes there is no single method that fits everyone, so she tailors sessions to the individual and adjusts techniques to match what works best for each person. Her clinical and life experience inform her work with a range of concerns including stress, anxiety, parenting, relationships, aging parents, infertility and adoption, depression, grief, trauma, and career challenges.

Leesa values collaborative work and looks forward to supporting clients as they identify goals and build practical strategies to navigate life changes and improve well-being.

Evidence-Based Techniques Adapted for Online Care

Melissa Elliott uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors - an approach that is often useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with life changes. She also integrates coaching-oriented, skills-based work that focuses on practical strategies clients can use immediately to manage parenting challenges, relationship concerns, workplace stress, and everyday coping needs. These methods emphasize clear, actionable tools and short-term goal setting.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Melissa works with clients to determine which techniques fit their goals, preferences, and life circumstances, and she adapts plans over time so interventions remain relevant and effective. Clients are invited to participate in shaping the work and to build a personalized toolkit that supports lasting change.

Online therapy with Melissa offers flexibility - sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to access care from home or between commitments. This range of options helps people fit therapy into busy lives and continue progress even when schedules or locations change.