- Licensed inFlorida
- LicensePY7080, MT1504
- NPI 1730397225
- Experience32+ years
- LanguagesEnglish
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Melinda
Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 32 years of clinical experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, and relationship or intimacy concerns.
She also supports those dealing with attachment issues, emotion regulation, ADHD, and the fallout of trauma and abuse. Her work emphasizes clear boundaries and learning emotional needs. Sessions focus on practical steps people can use to make healthier choices.
Background and approach
She often uses relational methods that look at patterns across generations and close relationships. Dr. Coker trained in Miami, Florida, and has worked in many settings over her career.
That includes independent practice, inpatient drug treatment, high school counseling, county treatment programs, women’s prisons, and drug court treatment. This range gives her experience with a wide variety of life circumstances. Her approach blends attachment-based thinking with client-centered care and cognitive behavioral strategies.
She also draws on dialectical behavior ideas and existential questions when they fit a person’s goals. Sessions are aimed at helping people get grounded, reduce distress, and build better day-to-day coping skills. People who reach out can expect straightforward, relational work.
She invites questions about what will make therapy useful and relevant. The focus is on concrete change and clearer emotional understanding over time.
Credentials
- Psychologist (Florida)
- License PY7080 · expires May 2026
- LMFT (Florida)
- License MT1504 · expires March 2027
- NPI
- 1730397225 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the therapist lists and checks neither.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Melinda lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- LGBT
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Melinda names
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How attachment and practical therapies work online
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early bonds shape current relationships. Online sessions use conversation and behavioral work to notice patterns and build more supported ways of relating. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person in front of the therapist. It uses listening and reflection to help people feel heard and to clarify goals for change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions. It teaches concrete tools to shift unhelpful thinking and change behavior.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Dr. Coker collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She may blend attachment ideas, client-centered listening, and CBT tools depending on the issue and what the person wants to achieve.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and practicing new interactions. Phone sessions can fit into a work break or when video bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging can support brief check-ins, skill practice, or a quick follow-up between sessions. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into a busy life.
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Frequently asked
What concerns does Dr. Coker address?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, trauma, and related challenges such as ADHD and attachment problems.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is relational and straightforward. She emphasizes boundaries, emotional needs, and practical steps people can use between sessions.
What kind of experience does she bring?
Dr. Coker has 32 years of clinical experience in settings that include independent practice, inpatient drug treatment, high school counseling, county programs, women’s prison work, and drug court treatment.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds the LMFT credential and practices in Florida. The profile also notes FL psychologist credentials in her background.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
Which session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to meet different scheduling and communication needs.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
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