Melissa Fernald, LCSW
Therapist in Maine
Melissa Fernald is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction care.
- Licensed inMaine, New Hampshire
- LicenseLC18215, 5092
- NPI 1598070591
- Experience25+ 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 Melissa
Melissa Fernald is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction care. She practices from Maine and focuses on giving straightforward, practical help for everyday struggles. Her style is calm and down-to-earth, and she aims to make sessions feel productive and hopeful from the start.
Melissa favors short-term, targeted work that builds on a person’s existing strengths. She uses clear tools and steps so people leave sessions with something to try between meetings.
Background and approach
Her approach emphasizes connection and safety in relationships while also teaching concrete skills for managing emotions and behavior. Clients often bring concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, ADHD, addiction, or difficulties with relationships and intimacy. Melissa also addresses parenting strain, caregiver stress, blended family challenges, and issues like codependency, control, and impulsivity.
She helps people facing big life changes, career questions, and struggles around guilt and shame. Therapeutic methods include Attachment-Based Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Melissa blends these approaches to match each person’s needs, focusing on what will help most in a given week.
Sessions are offered via video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. The subscription model can be canceled at any time and fees vary by location and therapist availability. To begin, a person selects Start Therapy, completes a short matching questionnaire, and schedules according to availability.
Credentials
- LCSW (Maine)
- License LC18215 · expires July 2027
- LCSW (New Hampshire)
- License 5092 · expires September 2026
- NPI
- 1598070591 · 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 Melissa lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- ADHD
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Melissa names
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused 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 Melissa’s Approaches Work Online
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in relationships and how early bonds affect current trust and closeness. It helps people identify how they relate to others and shift those patterns to feel safer and more connected. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on clarifying values and taking committed action even when uncomfortable feelings appear. It is useful for stress, anxiety, and making life changes aligned with what matters most.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Melissa collaborates with each person to find methods that match goals and preferences. She may draw from attachment work, ACT, or cognitive-behavioral strategies depending on what will help most that week, and she checks in regularly to adjust the plan together.
Online sessions can fit many schedules and situations. Video calls let you use visual cues and deeper conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in, and live chat or text messaging can support short updates or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make it easier to keep momentum and practice new skills in daily life.
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Frequently asked
What concerns does Melissa address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, ADHD, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, eating concerns, parenting strain, anger, self-esteem, and related areas.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her work is calm, down-to-earth, and solution-focused. She aims for short-term, practical steps and uses humor and honesty when helpful.
What experience does she bring?
Melissa has 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction settings, including hospitals, community programs, and independent practice.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a LCSW licensed in Maine and New Hampshire and provides services based in Maine.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs.
How are fees and billing handled?
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?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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