Melissa McDonald Wertz

Melissa McDonald Wertz is a licensed clinical social worker with over 10 years of experience. She works with people facing anger, anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, grief, and major life changes. She aims to make the first step feel manageable and supportive.

Her style is warm and interactive. She focuses on building a trusting relationship so clients feel comfortable talking about difficult topics. Sessions emphasize practical tools and clearer insight rather than long explanations.

Melissa uses a mix of approaches to match individual needs. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to address unhelpful thinking patterns and on mindfulness practices to help clients stay grounded. Motivational interviewing helps when people feel stuck or unsure about change.

She also incorporates solution-focused and trauma-focused methods when those fit the situation. The aim is to help people identify small, achievable steps forward and to process past hurts at a manageable pace.

Melissa’s background includes clinical therapy and case management work in Colorado. She supports people dealing with caregiving and hospice concerns, veteran and armed forces issues, process addictions, and challenges related to prejudice and discrimination. Her counseling combines practical skill-building with attention to personal values and goals.

How Melissa’s approaches translate to online work

Melissa commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT often involves setting clear goals, trying small behavior experiments, and practicing new skills between sessions.

She also draws on mindfulness therapy to teach simple attention and grounding practices. Mindfulness can help reduce reactivity, calm intense emotions, and improve sleep and focus over time.

Motivational interviewing is another approach she uses to support people who feel stuck or ambivalent. This method focuses on clarifying values, strengthening motivation, and setting realistic next steps for change.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, preferences, and the problems they bring to sessions. That team approach helps shape a plan that feels doable.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking. Online options can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT, mindfulness, and motivational techniques to online meetings so you can practice skills and track progress without reorganizing your whole day.