Melissa Oran, LCSW

Melissa Oran is a licensed clinical social worker in Indiana who aims to make therapy straightforward and practical. She focuses on helping people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, or big life changes. Melissa uses clear, down-to-earth language to help clients name their problems and take small steps forward.

In sessions she listens without judgement and centers what matters to each person. Her approach combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered work, and trauma-informed tools so conversations stay practical and focused. She helps clients spot unhelpful thinking patterns, try new behaviors, and build coping skills that fit day-to-day life.

Melissa has six years of direct therapy experience and more years in social services overall. That background shapes a practical style that values steady progress over quick fixes. She also draws on techniques for trauma processing and mindfulness to support recovery from painful experiences.

People who come to her often want help with relationships, parenting stress, career strain, or feeling stuck after a breakup or loss. Melissa also supports those working through substance use, eating concerns, attachment questions, and compassion fatigue from caregiving work.

She offers sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text messaging so people can pick what fits their schedule. To begin, a simple matching questionnaire is used to pair someone with a therapist and then sessions are scheduled based on availability.

How therapy approaches translate online

Melissa often combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered methods when working online. CBT focuses on noticing thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety or depression, which works well in structured online sessions. Client-centered work emphasizes listening and collaboration, giving people space to set their own goals and pace during calls or messages.

She also uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for trauma-focused work when appropriate. EMDR helps people process distressing memories in a step-by-step way and can be adapted to remote sessions with careful planning and collaboration about comfort and pacing.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then together they’ll try methods that match those needs. That collaborative planning can change as therapy progresses.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to give flexibility. Video is useful for deeper conversations and skills practice, phone can be lower-bandwidth and easier on the go, chat and text work well for brief check-ins or when someone prefers not to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different life demands.