Melissa Murren (she/her)

Sometimes life throws us a curveball we weren't expecting, creating challenges to our ability to cope, testing our limits. If something has you doubting yourself, questioning things you thought you'd figured out long ago, I can help. Most of us will go through times like this in our lives and we might find ourselves feeling depressed, anxious, irritable, restless, filled with doubts and questions. You don't have to go through this alone, let's figure it out together so you can move forward.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, creating so much uncertainty, fear, and stress, I began truly embracing the power of mindfulness in my practice, as well as in my own life. I believe mindful meditation can be one of the most transformative tools to help people learn to manage the unmanageable, to reduce stress and reduce chronic overreactivity to stress that left unchecked can harm body and mind, and to make peace with strong emotions in a way that is truly healing and transformative.

I strongly believe that examining our lives, our influences, and gaining a clearer understanding of ourselves makes us happier, more balanced individuals. I help my clients look at their beliefs and dig deeply to figure out what is truly important to them and why. Through a conscious examining and choosing, we create a more congruent life that is meaningful, valuable, and satisfying, letting go of those things that don't align with our deepest values, and devoting our time to things that do.

CBT offers a window into processes that usually just work in the background - the way we talk to ourselves, the way we interpret neutral situations, how we think about our place in the world. When we take the time to think through how we're thinking, we can suddenly notice areas where our thoughts are negatively influencing our mood. If you're having trouble coping because of depression or anxiety, CBT can offer simple, straightforward relief to help you feel better.

If you are having trouble making sense of your life, your relationships, and your future because chronic illness and/or pain are dominating your every day and leaving little time for anything else, I can help. I help people re-locate themselves within their experience of health issues, to recover emotionally and find meaning, purpose, and pleasure in life again, even while continuing to face uncertainty and challenges from health conditions.

Loss can take many forms, but if your experience of loss - be it a person you love, a pet, a job, or relationship - is causing you to have difficulty finding pleasure or meaning in the things you used to enjoy, I can help. Grieving a loss is painful and complicated, and you may not even be fully aware how much it is impacting you. I help people make sense of their lives after losses, to honor and make sense of their emotions, and to find ways to feel like themselves again.