01 · Who Melissa works with

Melissa works with stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and self esteem

Melissa lists 12 specialisms. Specialisms are the subjects Melissa chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Melissa's own words

What Melissa says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Congratulations on taking the first step towards reaching your personal goals! I would love to help you unlock your true potential. I am a psychotherapist with eleven years of experience and training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Solution-Focused Therapy. I have a relaxed, open-minded and non-judgmental counseling style, but I am also action-oriented with my clients. My experience includes working with children, adolescents and adults in a variety of environments - including a hospital setting, school setting and private practice. My specialties include anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and family conflict. I enjoy working with parenting issues as part of family conflict. In addition to my therapy services, I am a certified instructor in Parenting with Love & Logic, in which I provide workshops in my community.

I am originally from Charlotte, NC. I earned my BA in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and then later my Master's Degree in Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I am married and a mother to two boys, as well as a pug named Mabel . We spend a lot of our time outdoors exploring as a family. I greatly enjoy traveling and immersing myself into other cultures.

Melissa Guarnaccia, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Nov 2026

03 · How Melissa works

The 2 approaches Melissa lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Melissa lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Melissa's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Melissa runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Melissa practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Melissa's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Melissa at this point.

2. Naming Melissa specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Melissa is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Melissa.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

2 questions worth asking Melissa

Built from what Melissa actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Melissa's - Melissa has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

North Carolina

Licence

NC LCSW C006618, SC LISW-CP 14816

Licence number

C006618

Licence expires

13 Nov 2028

NPI

1467778043

Years in practice

11

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Melissa's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Melissa. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.