Melissa Hurt, LICSW
A social work approach to practical healing
Details
| Name | Melissa Hurt |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LICSW |
| Based in | Minnesota |
| Licensed in | Minnesota |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 3 |
About Melissa
Melissa Hurt is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) based in Minnesota. She brings a social work perspective to clinical care and focuses on helping people find more peace, stability, and joy in day-to-day life. Her style is compassionate and strengths-focused, and she aims to be honest and encouraging with each person she meets.
She earned a Master of Social Work and then pursued clinical licensure. That background gives her a view of how systems and community shape individuals.
Background and approach
She pays attention to how culture, family stories, and life choices affect wellbeing when she talks with people. Much of her recent work has been in disability services, where she supported teams of social workers and stayed connected to practical, everyday challenges.
She describes her approach as creative and grounded in compassion, with a focus on learning from struggle rather than avoiding it. She has experience supporting young professionals and people connected to the military community, informed in part by years as a military spouse. Parenting and long-term partnerships are topics she is comfortable addressing, drawn from her own family life.
Therapeutic methods she uses include Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and mindfulness practices. She works with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, addiction, ADHD, self-esteem, career transitions, and caregiver strain. Her aim is to help people notice what works for them and build on those strengths.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Relationship issues among the things Melissa works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Depression
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- 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.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Melissa among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): 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.
- 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
How narrative and action-based therapies work online
Melissa often combines Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in online sessions. Narrative Therapy helps people reframe life stories and notice the themes that shape daily choices, which can help with identity, stress, and relationship-related worries. ACT focuses on values and small actions - it helps when anxiety or avoidance block meaningful steps. CBT looks at unhelpful thinking patterns and teaches practical exercises to change behaviors and reduce distress.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels doable. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan over time based on what helps most.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which adds flexibility for busy days. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and shared exercises. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for a shorter check-in. Live chat and text can be used for brief reflections, coaching-style support, or between-session touchpoints. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, caregiving, or travel schedules.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does Melissa commonly address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, ADHD, and issues with self-esteem, intimacy, and career change. She also works with parenting challenges, caregiver stress, and relationship concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is compassionate and strengths-focused. She uses creative, practical ideas and encourages people to learn from struggles rather than avoid them.
How long has she been practicing clinically?
She holds a Clinical Social Work license and has three years of clinical experience since licensure, with additional years working in disability services and social work roles.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is a Minnesota LICSW, and her practice is based in Minnesota.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire, then schedule sessions according to the therapist's 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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