01 · Who Melissa works with

Melissa works with stress, Anxiety, LGBT and trauma and abuse

Melissa lists 15 specialisms and 26 further focus areas. 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.

How’s your stress level? If you’re anything like the millions of other people adjusting to significant changes over the last few years, it’s likely your stress has crept up over this time. With change and uncertainty as one of our only constants as of late, it makes sense that life might feel heavier now than it once did.

I’m a Clinical Social Worker licensed in both Missouri (LCSW) and Kansas (LSCSW). I am active in the greater Kansas City area with over 18 years of experience in the field of human services. The people I have had the privilege of serving come from all walks of life and have encountered a myriad of personal and professional challenges. Over the course of my career, I have served adjudicated youth, children and families within the child welfare system, adults with identified substance use issues, and individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Most recently, I have worked with adults to develop employment goals as well as strategies to achieve them.

I have recently transitioned to providing therapy on a full-time basis and I work exclusively using telehealth/virtual sessions. I am eager to support adults experiencing job satisfaction concerns, self-esteem or confidence issues, depression, anxiety, unpacking past trauma, communication and relationship issues, family dynamics, grief and loss, and individuals in the LGBTQ+ population. My approach is warm and supportive as I believe in the dignity and worth of every person. I most often utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing techniques, and acceptance and commitment therapy, but am happy to tailor your treatment plan to your unique needs. Verbally processing the challenging things in life can make them significantly more manageable. Seeking therapy is such a vulnerable and brave thing to do and I'm inspired by that courage!

Years ago as a young adult, I was drawn to the social work field out of a desire to help others. To me, nothing was more interesting in college than learning about people. One of my greatest joys is watching clients grow and evolve out of struggle. We all experience obstacles in life, and it is my honor to help you find new approaches to the many and varied problems that pop up. My commitment to you as a helping professional is to keep you and your values front and center and to leave judgment at the door. I believe therapy is a partnership and I’m so eager to partner with you!

So, are you ready for this? I’m excited to meet you and I consider it a privilege to walk alongside you on your journey. I hope you’ll reach out so we can get something scheduled today!

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

03 · How Melissa works

The 7 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.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

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.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

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

3 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.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “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

LSCSW

Licensed in

Missouri

Licence

KS LSCSW LSCSW 05677, MO LCSW 2016028922

Licence number

2016028922

Licence expires

30 Sep 2027

NPI

1770239584

Years in practice

6

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 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.