Melissa Madriaga

Melissa Madriaga is a licensed professional counselor who helps people manage stress, anger, anxiety, and life changes. She speaks plainly and aims to make therapy straightforward and practical for people who feel stuck. Melissa brings eight years of counseling experience to her work and is based in Wisconsin.

She uses a mix of approaches to match each person's needs. Melissa draws on client-centered methods to focus on what matters to the individual. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and try small, doable changes.

Melissa earned a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University in 2015 and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Marian University in 2010. She holds a Wisconsin LPC. Her background includes work with incarcerated and homeless populations and time spent serving in the United States Army Reserves.

Her practice includes supporting people facing depression, eating and food-related issues, addictions, parenting stress, trauma and abuse, and relationship or communication problems. Additional focuses include body image, guilt and shame, isolation, money and financial issues, and pregnancy and childbirth concerns.

Outside of work she is a single mother, loves spending time outdoors in Wisconsin, and enjoys hiking, biking, and travel. The approach in sessions is collaborative and practical, aimed at finding steps that fit into everyday life.

How her approaches translate to online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building a respectful, understanding relationship. In sessions the therapist follows the person's lead, asks questions, and helps people clarify what they want to change or feel differently about. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses simple experiments and small behavior changes to reduce anxiety, manage anger, or shift eating-related patterns.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk through goals, try methods that fit the person's preferences, and adjust the plan based on what helps. That collaboration helps tailor techniques for stress, anger, or life transitions.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people use mindfulness or CBT homework between sessions so progress continues outside of meeting times.