Compassionate Therapy for All Ages
Specializing in Play Therapy, Anxiety, OCD, Trauma and Faith-Based Counseling
Specializing in Play Therapy, Anxiety, OCD, Trauma and Faith-Based Counseling
Melissa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist who has been practicing therapy since 2005. She is passionate about working with people in all stages of life to help them find healing emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Melissa earned her Bachelor's Degree in Social Welfare from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and her Master's Degree in Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago. Melissa's early career focused on working in both adoption and foster care. Her clinical practicum and experience focused on working in hospital-based inpatient and outpatient programs with children and adults. This provided her with experience working with a variety of complex issues and needs.
Melissa has expertise working with children, adolescents and adult women who have experienced trauma. She has a passion for supporting women in therapy who are struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Mood Disorders, parenting challenges and Grief and Loss. Melissa also has experience with the treatment of self-esteem issues, depression, ADHD and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).
Melissa works with people in all stages of life including children (ages 5 and up), adolescents and adult women. She specializes in the treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Trauma Related Disorders. Although Melissa works with people of all faiths and backgrounds, she also enjoys providing faith-based counseling to Christian clients to support them spiritually in treatment.
Melissa offers individual counseling services that are tailored to your specific needs. Melissa will complete an intake assessment in the first session to obtain history, clarify concerns and identify treatment goals. During this session, Melissa will provide a recommendation of what therapy approaches would best meet your needs and help you to accomplish your goals.
Melissa is trained as a Registered Play Therapist and works with children ages 5 and up. Play Therapy is a therapeutic approach which engages children at their developmental level and utilizes the "language of play" to help children explore, express and communicate feelings. This approach can also help children develop regulation skills, enhance social relationships, develop personal strengths and learn healthy coping. While play therapy is often an individual therapy, Melissa also often includes parents to support children in learning skills to practice skills at home. She engages parents in a brief check-in at the beginning and end of each session.
Melissa provides counseling to clients who want to incorporate their Christian faith into the therapy process. She works to support her clients in focusing on both emotional and spiritual growth by integrating faith with evidence-based counseling approaches. There is a harmony between neuroscience and faith that complements one another in unique and amazing ways. These empirically supported counseling approaches such as CBT, ERP and EMDR can be effectively integrated with the Christian faith and be powerful and transformative.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence based psychotherapy approach that helps people recover from trauma and other stress related disorders. During EMDR therapy, Melissa will help you identify how your current symptoms are connected to past events and how they can be resolved. EMDR reprocessing takes multiple sessions and can be either in-person or remotely via telehealth. Melissa practices EMDR with children, adolescents and adult women. She also utilizes this approach to support people who struggle with other general mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, low-self esteem issues.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps clients to identify and change thinking patterns that contribute to stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Melissa supports clients in recognizing these patterns to develop more balanced ways of thinking, responding and behaving.
Melissa is also trained in CBT-AR which is an evidence-based therapy approach for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. This therapeutic approach increases opportunities for exposure to novel foods in session while decreasing negative predictions and feelings about eating.
Melissa has specialized training in Exposure Response Prevention Therapy for children, adolescents and adults. This approach teaches clients with Anxiety Disorders and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to face discomfort and fears through graduated exposure. Melissa works with clients to support them in developing skills to manage and decrease their response to anxiety and obsessive thinking patterns and behaviors.
Rooted Counseling & Play Therapy is located in the offices of the Hale Richlen Center for Psychiatry in the Eastbrook Office Center.
Eastbrook Office Center
Hale Richlen Center for Psychiatry
12720 W North Ave
Building B, Suite 200
Brookfield, WI 53005
In-person and virtual sessions are both offered. If you prefer to meet virtually, a private link for the session will be provided.
Melissa recommends that children ages 5-12 years meet for in-person sessions only.
Melissa is in network with United Healthcare, UMR, UMR Advocate Aurora, and Lyra.
Melissa's Private Pay Fees include:
The initial Intake assessment is $210.
A 55-60-minute therapy session is $160 and a 45-minute therapy session is $140.
Some clients choose to use their "out of network" insurance benefits to cover a portion of their sessions.
You can book an appointment with Melissa by calling the office at (262)785-1500 or by filling out an online booking form on our website. Melissa provides a free 15-minute phone consultation upon request.
12720 W North Ave, Building B, Suite 200, Brookfield WI 53005
Open today | 12:00 pm – 06:00 pm |
Copyright © 2025 Rooted Counseling & Play Therapy - All Rights Reserved.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.