Melissa Reighn

Melissa Reighn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in New York with 15 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, mood concerns, and life changes. Melissa believes clients know their own stories and brings a steady, respectful presence to help them move forward.

Her approach is practical and collaborative. She uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps clients clarify values and take small steps toward them. Melissa also uses trauma-focused methods, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, when trauma history is involved.

Sessions tend to focus on immediate problems and skills that fit daily life. Melissa listens first, then works with each person to set clear goals and plan realistic steps. She helps people manage symptoms while also addressing underlying issues such as grief, relationship strain, or difficulties with self-esteem.

Over the years she has supported people with parenting stress, ADHD, eating concerns, bipolar mood patterns, and challenges tied to aging, caregiving, or chronic illness. Her work also addresses codependency, communication problems, substance issues, immigration stress, and the impacts of domestic violence.

Melissa aims to make the process straightforward and hopeful. She encourages people to take the step that feels right and to build sustainable change one small choice at a time.

How therapy approaches work online with clinical tools

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying what matters to you and taking small steps toward those values. It helps with anxiety, stress, and feeling stuck by teaching practical actions and simple mindfulness skills.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behavior interact. It teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful thinking patterns and try new behaviors for mood and anxiety problems.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused method used to process distressing memories when trauma is part of the problem. It aims to reduce the intensity of traumatic memories so daily functioning improves.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Melissa talks with each person about goals and preferences and then recommends techniques that fit those needs. This is a collaborative process where methods can be adjusted as progress is made.

The original biography does not specify which remote session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow a quieter check-in during a work break. They can also let someone use phone-only check-ins if bandwidth or wearing a camera is difficult.