Melissa Harris, LPC - Therapist in Tennessee

Emotionally-Focused Therapy
ACT and CBT methods
Stress and trauma support

About Melissa

Melissa Harris is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Tennessee with eight years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, ADHD, addictions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and other life changes.

She listens for how emotions and attachment patterns affect day-to-day life. Sessions focus on clear, practical steps that help people handle anger, low self-esteem, bipolar and depression, and the strain of caregiving or chronic illness. Melissa also addresses concerns such as communication problems, commitment issues, codependency, and blended family stress.

Melissa uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In practice she helps clients name difficult feelings, notice how those feelings shape behavior, and try small experiments to test new ways of relating. Conversations aim to be straightforward and goal-oriented, with attention to patterns that repeat in relationships and work.

She also works with people affected by abandonment, adoption and foster care history, autism spectrum concerns, and aging-related challenges. Melissa helps people manage grief, recovery from abuse, and the practical fallout of health conditions or caregiving roles.

To begin, she guides clients through a short assessment and collaborative planning. Sessions move from understanding what is happening now to building skills and routines that fit the client’s daily life.

How Melissa’s approaches translate to online therapy

Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on identifying and naming strong feelings and looking at how those feelings shape interactions. It can help when repeated emotional patterns leave people stuck or unsure how to respond in relationships.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is often useful for anxiety, stress, and when someone wants clearer direction during life changes.

Attachment-Based Therapy pays attention to how early bonds influence current relationships and feelings. It helps people understand patterns that come from long-term relationship histories and try new ways of relating in close connections.

Choosing the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to decide which methods fit the client’s goals, preferences, and the problems they want to address. That choice can change as progress is made.

Session logistics should be confirmed before booking since formats were not specified in the biography. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, or remove travel time. Talk with the therapist about scheduling and any adjustments that help sessions work in everyday life.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse GriefADHD

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemBipolar disorderDepression Coping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependency Commitment issues Communication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separation Domestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Midlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depression Post-traumatic stress Pregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based Therapy Client-Centered Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman Method Mindfulness Therapy Motivational Interviewing Narrative Therapy Psychodynamic Therapy Solution-Focused Therapy Trauma-Focused Therapy Internal Family Systems Systemic Therapy

Experience

8+ years

Listed in

Tennessee

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, ADHD, addictions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and many related life challenges.

What is her therapeutic style?

She uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy with practical techniques from ACT and CBT to help name emotions and change patterns.

How much experience does she have?

Melissa has eight years of experience as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Tennessee.

What are her credentials and location?

She holds the LPC credential and practices in Tennessee.

Does she work with clients in other countries or languages?

Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.

What session formats are available?

The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.

How does her pricing work?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I get started?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.