Melissa Pagarigan, LCSW

Melissa Pagarigan is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who has practiced as a clinician for 4 years and brings a compassionate, relationship-centered approach to therapy. She has supported people coping with depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, family conflicts, and attention-related concerns like ADHD. Her experience also includes offering care to individuals who have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional trauma, helping them process difficult events and rebuild resilience.

Melissa emphasizes a personal, collaborative relationship with each client, believing that a strong therapeutic bond helps navigate life’s most challenging moments. She integrates cognitive behavioral techniques, humanistic principles, and a strengths-based framework into her work, tailoring these evidence-informed methods to match each person’s unique needs and goals. The cognitive behavioral elements help identify and shift unhelpful thought and behavior patterns, while humanistic and strengths-based strategies focus on empathy, personal values, and the client’s existing resources.

Recognizing that reaching out for support takes courage, Melissa frames therapy as a step toward empowerment and practical change. She encourages those ready to begin the process to take the first step toward healing and growth, and looks forward to partnering with clients as they work toward their goals.

Evidence-Informed Approaches and Online Care

Melissa uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help clients identify and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. This practical, goal-oriented approach is useful for learning new coping skills and managing daily challenges.

She also draws on humanistic and strengths-based approaches that emphasize empathy, personal values, and existing resources. These methods focus on understanding each person’s experience, fostering self-compassion, and building on what already works in a client’s life to support recovery from trauma, grief, or caregiver fatigue.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Melissa collaborates with clients to determine which techniques best match their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting methods as progress and priorities evolve.

Online therapy with Melissa offers flexible options including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, maintain continuity of care across locations within her practice area, and access support in ways that feel most comfortable for each client. Licensed professionals and therapists can use these tools to provide consistent, effective care that aligns with a client’s life and goals.