Counsellor profile
Melissa Thompson, PACFA
PACFA counsellor - Family and parenting concerns
Continue with MelissaAbout
- Stress and anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Attachment issues
About Melissa
Melissa Thompson is a PACFA credentialed counsellor in Australia with 14 years of clinical experience. She works with people coping with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and struggles with motivation, self-esteem and confidence. Her focus includes a broad range of concerns such as relationship and family stress, addictions, sleep problems, anger and life transitions.
Melissa keeps sessions straightforward and practical. She listens to what feels most pressing and helps people sort through options. Conversations tend to focus on small, manageable steps rather than long-term plans all at once.
Her background includes supporting people facing attachment and abandonment issues, adoption and foster care matters, and the effects of dissociation. She also works with those dealing with codependency, communication problems, control issues and dependent personality dynamics.
Melissa uses a mix of psychological approaches to suit different needs. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address unhelpful thinking and build flexible coping. Attachment-based ideas help when relationship patterns or early losses are part of the problem.
Sessions aim to identify what is getting in the way of everyday functioning and to build practical strategies for change. People often come wanting help with mood, coping after loss, relationship tension or addictive behaviours. The work is collaborative and paced to what the person can manage.
How sessions work
Approaches used online and what they involve
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and taking steps that align with those values, while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them. It can help with anxiety, low motivation and coping with loss. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) addresses patterns of thinking and behaviour by testing unhelpful thoughts and practising different actions; it is commonly used for anxiety, depression and sleep problems. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships affect current patterns, and works to identify and change repeating dynamics that cause distress in adult relationships.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what has or has not helped in the past. Together they figure out which methods to prioritise and adjust the plan as needed.
The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm available session types before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, allow shorter check-ins between longer sessions, and remove travel time. It also lets people work with a counsellor from where they already are, while the therapist helps set practical steps to try between meetings.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem issues, addictions, relationship and family concerns, sleep problems, anger, depression and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is practical and collaborative, using short steps and concrete strategies drawn from approaches like ACT and CBT alongside attachment-focused work.
How much experience does she have?
She has 14 years of professional experience working with a range of emotional and relational concerns.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
Melissa is PACFA credentialed and practises in Australia.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.