Elaine Messarra, LPC
Compassionate counselor helping adults rewrite their stories
Details
| Name | Elaine Messarra |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LPC |
| Based in | Texas |
| Licensed in | Texas |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 26 |
About Elaine
Elaine Messarra is a Licensed Professional Counselor who brings 26 years of clinical experience to individual therapy. She practices from Texas and offers help for adults facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, and the emotional fallout of trauma and abuse. Elaine draws on narrative therapy to help people reframe the stories they tell about themselves.
She also uses client-centered methods to follow each person’s pace and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address unhelpful thinking and behaviors.
Background and approach
Her practical style includes active listening and clear, compassionate feedback. Her background includes long experience in independent practice and virtual care, plus years working as a teacher and school counselor. That history makes her especially attuned to educators and caregivers who carry heavy responsibilities and burnout.
She has also provided individual sessions in nursing home and assisted living settings. Elaine offers faith-informed options when requested, and she respects religious belief as a possible source of comfort for clients. She does individual work only and does not provide couples or family sessions.
In sessions she focuses on concrete coping skills, communication, boundary-setting, and pacing recovery from difficult life events. Many people come for help with parenting strain, caregiver stress, chronic illness, grief, or problems with self-esteem and anger. Her aim is to create an accepting space where clients feel heard and less burdened after each visit.
Elaine guides clients toward clearer thinking and small changes that add up to better day-to-day functioning.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Trauma and abuse among the things Elaine works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Elaine among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Elaine among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Elaine among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Elaine among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Elaine among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Elaine among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Elaine among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Elaine directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Elaine directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
Using Narrative and Practical Tools in Online Sessions
Elaine uses narrative therapy to help people look at the stories they tell about themselves and choose different, more helpful ways to see their lives. That work can be useful for relationship patterns, identity concerns, and coping after loss or trauma. She also draws on client-centered therapy, which focuses on listening, empathy, and moving at the client's pace so sessions feel responsive and respectful.She may also use elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help identify unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes that reduce anxiety or lift mood. Choosing the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process; Elaine works with each person to set goals and pick methods that match their needs and preferences rather than following a single fixed plan.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or ongoing text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs. Video lets people use visual cues and more natural conversation. Phone can be easier when bandwidth is low or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging support brief reflections, journaling between sessions, or flexible contact during a busy week. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while balancing work, caregiving, and other responsibilities.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does she address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, parenting strain, anger, self-esteem, career stress, compassion fatigue, and many family-of-origin or caregiving challenges.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is client-centered and collaborative. She listens closely, follows each person’s pace, and combines narrative and cognitive strategies to change unhelpful thoughts and stories.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 26 years of experience as a psychotherapist, including independent practice, virtual care, and work with nursing home and assisted living residents, plus two decades as a teacher and school counselor.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Texas.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for individual therapy.
How does pricing and subscription work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Elaine are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Elaine where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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