Melissa Cumella, LPC

Melissa Cumella is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Arizona. She has five years of experience supporting people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, career challenges, and depression. Melissa emphasizes practical steps and steady progress rather than quick fixes.

She believes each person knows their own story and brings strengths to therapy. Sessions focus on building skills and using what already works in daily life. Melissa aims to make the first steps feel manageable and clear.

Her approach draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also uses skills from dialectical behavior therapy to teach emotional regulation and coping tools. These methods are used in straightforward, everyday language.

In a typical session Melissa helps clients set small goals, try new strategies between meetings, and adjust plans based on what helps. Conversations are practical and action oriented, with room for reflection about what matters most to the client. She works at a pace set by each person’s needs.

People often seek her help for trauma, grief, parenting strain, eating concerns, anger, or compassion fatigue. Melissa supports clients through life transitions and tough decisions, helping them find steady ways to cope and move forward.

CBT and DBT skills delivered online

Melissa commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. CBT sessions usually include setting small, concrete goals and practicing new skills between meetings to reduce anxiety or depressive patterns.

She also draws on dialectical behavior therapy tools that teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT skills are useful for handling strong feelings, responding to crises, and improving day-to-day coping strategies.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Melissa works with each person to decide which skills and strategies fit their goals and preferences. She adjusts plans over time based on what is working and what feels manageable.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions are held. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text-based messaging suit quick check-ins or people who prefer typing. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to practice skills between sessions.