Melissa Fernald, LCSW
Calm, practical therapy with clear tools
Details
| Name | Melissa Fernald |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCSW |
| Based in | Maine |
| Licensed in | Maine, New Hampshire |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 25 |
About Melissa
Melissa Fernald is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience. She practices in Maine and brings a practical, down-to-earth style to therapy. Melissa focuses on helping people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about their next step.
She aims to keep therapy straightforward and useful. Sessions are often goal-oriented and skill-based so people leave with tools they can use right away. Melissa values honesty, warmth, and a touch of humor when it helps the work move forward.
Background and approach
Her background includes work in hospitals, community programs, and independent practice. That variety shaped a flexible approach that fits many life circumstances. She draws from several methods, including Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-based work, Client-centered techniques, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Melissa often helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, ADHD, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strain, and career challenges. She also supports those facing divorce, blended family issues, caregiver stress, and compassion fatigue. In sessions she focuses on building strengths, clarifying values, and developing practical strategies.
People can expect a calm, nonjudgmental space where the therapist listens closely and helps turn insight into action.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse among the things Melissa works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- ADHD
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Melissa 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 Melissa directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
Therapeutic approaches and online sessions that fit your life
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify what matters most and take small steps toward those values even when emotions are hard. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress when patterns get in the way of meaningful action. Narrative Therapy looks at the stories people tell about themselves and their lives and helps separate the person from the problem so new possibilities can emerge. It can help with identity, relationship patterns, and feeling stuck. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape expectations and reactions in close relationships, and it can help when trust, intimacy, or communication feel difficult.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Melissa will listen to your concerns, goals, and preferences and help identify which methods to try together. The process is collaborative, and plans can change as needs shift over time.
Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls let you meet face to face from wherever you are. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text work well for brief check-ins, coaching-style support, or when writing helps you sort thoughts. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into work, parenting, or travel schedules while working with a licensed professional.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, ADHD, relationship and intimacy issues, eating concerns, parenting strain, and career questions among other matters.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is calm, down-to-earth, and solution-focused. Sessions emphasize building on strengths and developing practical skills to handle immediate problems.
What is her professional background?
She has 25 years of experience working in hospitals, community programs, and independent practice settings, with a long history in mental health and addiction work.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) practicing in Maine with licensure noted as ME LCSW and NH LCSW.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working together?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Melissa 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 Melissa where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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