Melissa Higgins (she/her)

I listen empathically and reflectively and then collaboratively help the client transform his or her story. I am nurturing, compassionate and non-judgmental. I use a number of therapeutic techniques to help clients tell their story at their own pace, relate what happened and why.

I help clients cognitively reframe traumatic and stressful events and normalize their reactions. We formulate a "healing theory" of what happened and why. I also help clients relate examples of their strengths, resources and coping abilities to convey the rest of the story.

I help clients break down their abuse-related stress so they can use problem-solving and coping techniques. I also help clients build new ways to view themselves and the world. I help clients construct narratives that fit their circumstances, are coherent, and that are adequate in capturing and explaining their difficulties. I allow clients to retell their stories in a way that allows them to understand the origins, meanings and significance of present difficulties, and to do so in a way that makes change conceivable and attainable.

The quality and nature of the therapeutic relationship is central to client behavioral change. The therapeutic alliance relationship is the cornerstone of effective trauma therapy. I educate my clients about the nature and impact of trauma, PTSD and accompanying adjustment difficulties and discuss the nature of treatment. I have attended many conferences, workshops and trainings on working with trauma. I have presented professional trainings on working with survivors of abuse and I have effectively worked with thousands of survivors of trauma.

Narrative therapy is a method of therapy that separates a person from their problem. I encourage people to rely on their own skills to minimize problems that exist in their lives. Narrative therapy uses the power of the stories people tell to help people discover their life purpose. I often assign my clients the role of “narrator” in their own story. I recognize that people have skills and expertise that can help guide change in their lives. Narrative therapy separates people from their problems. This allows me to help people externalize sensitive issues. Objectifying an issues may lower a person’s resistance and defenses. This allows people to address issues in a more productive way.

CBT helps people to think about their world a bit differently. I help people to look at and to change disruptive beliefs. Positive thoughts tend to have a positive or advantageous impact on a person’s behaviors and emotions. I believe humans tend to have many negative and self-defeating thoughts and beliefs which have a detrimental impact on behaviors, emotions and overall quality of life. In my work, I help people to focus their attention on these disruptive thoughts and beliefs so that those thoughts and beliefs can be adjusted so as to not have such a significant negative impact on a person’s life. I deal with the removal of ‘false’ thoughts and beliefs.