- 25 years experience
- Inclusive practice
- Practical skills focus
About Melissa
Melissa Stokes offers calm, practical support for people facing stress, anxiety and major life changes. She helps with things like depression, bipolar, ADHD, grief, sleeping and eating problems, and codependency concerns. Melissa is inclusive of all genders and sexual identities and aims to make each person feel heard from the first conversation.
She draws on 25 years of experience in hospitals, community mental health, youth justice, sexual assault services and private practice. That background means she is used to working with complex presentations and layered problems. She uses straightforward discussion, skills teaching and clear goal-setting in sessions.
Melissa integrates several approaches to suit each person. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and take meaningful steps. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is used for thinking patterns and practical behaviour change. Attachment-based and client-centred ideas shape how she builds trust and explores relationships.
Sessions focus on what matters to the client and on small, manageable steps between meetings. She also supervises students and other clinicians and keeps updating her knowledge through research and professional development. Her work includes projects on gendered violence assessment tools and research into online mindfulness.
Outside of work Melissa spends time hiking, foraging, playing board games, cooking, practising yoga and pottering in gardens with her dogs. These interests inform a down-to-earth style in therapy that aims to fit with everyday life.
How Melissa’s approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values. It suits people who feel stuck and want to learn ways to act that match their priorities. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviours to reduce distress and improve routine. It is practical and goal-oriented for anxiety, depression and sleep or eating issues. Attachment-Based Therapy emphasises how relationships shape our feelings and coping, and can be useful when past or current relationships affect mood and trust.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Melissa will talk with each person about their goals, preferences and what has helped or not helped before. Together they decide which strategies to try and adjust the plan as needed so it fits the person's life and pace.
The biography does not specify which online session formats are used, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes it possible to continue with a therapist between life transitions while keeping a familiar rhythm of sessions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
Listed on profile
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Melissa support?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADHD, grief, sleeping and eating problems, parenting strain, and codependency among other issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Melissa offers a warm, collaborative style that mixes talking, practical skills and goal-setting to suit each person.
What is her professional background?
She has 25 years' experience across hospitals, community mental health, youth justice, sexual assault services and private practice.
Which credentials does she hold and where is she based?
She holds AASW and AHPRA credentials and practises in Australia.
Can I work with her if I live outside Australia?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, then schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.