Melissa Fernald, LCSW

Maine · 25 years in practice

Melissa Fernald is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction.

License and registration

LCSW, Maine: LC18215 · expires July 2027
LCSW, New Hampshire: 5092 · expires September 2026
NPI: 1598070591 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 25
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.

About Melissa

Melissa Fernald is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction. She practices from Maine and brings a calm, down-to-earth presence to sessions. Melissa aims to make therapy practical and focused so people leave feeling a little lighter and more capable.

Her background includes work in hospitals, community programs, and independent practice settings. That range shaped a belief that therapy can be direct and useful rather than long and painful.

Background and approach

She uses a strength-based, solution-focused stance to build on what already helps a person and add new skills where needed. Melissa favors straightforward conversations that mix honesty and warmth. She describes herself as nonjudgmental and values authenticity and occasional humor during work together.

The goal in early sessions is often to clarify what matters most and to set small, achievable steps. She draws on several approaches to tailor care, including existential ideas about meaning, acceptance and commitment strategies for handling hard thoughts and feelings, and attachment-informed thinking about relationships. Cognitive methods and client-centered listening are also part of her toolbox.

Common concerns she addresses include stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, ADHD, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting strain, career difficulties, and coping with life changes. Melissa also helps with related issues such as codependency, communication problems, caregiver stress, and questions of life purpose.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Melissa lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Family conflicts
Trauma and abuse
Depression
ADHD
Addictions
Relationship issues
Intimacy-related issues
Eating disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Coping with life changes
Coaching
Compassion fatigue
Abandonment
Blended family issues
Caregiver issues and stress
Co-morbidity
Codependency
Communication problems
Control issues
Divorce and separation
Domestic violence
Drug and alcohol addiction
Family problems
First responder issues
Guilt and shame
Impulsivity
Life purpose
Midlife crisis
Mood disorders
Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Postpartum depression
Post-traumatic stress
Pregnancy and childbirth
Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Self-harm
Sexual assault and abuse
Smoking / vaping cessation
Social anxiety and phobia
Women's issues
Workplace issues
Young adult issues

Approaches Melissa names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Approaches that guide online sessions

Existential ideas help people look at meaning, choices, and what matters most in life. This approach is useful when someone feels stuck, questions purpose, or faces big life transitions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It teaches skills to act toward personal values even when emotions are difficult, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns influence current connections. It can help people understand trust, communication, and emotional closeness in important relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. Choices about techniques and pacing are made collaboratively and can change as needs shift.

Online sessions offer practical flexibility: video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging helps with quick reflections between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different life rhythms.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of problems does she help people with?

Melissa works with many concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, ADHD, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting stress, career problems, and coping with life changes.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Her style is calm, down-to-earth, and nonjudgmental. She focuses on practical, strength-based work and setting realistic steps you can try between sessions.

What is her background and experience?

She has 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction and has worked in hospitals, community programs, and independent practice settings.

What credentials and where is she based?

She holds the LCSW credential and is licensed in Maine as a clinical social worker.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available online?

Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what works best for the person.

How does payment or cost work?

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

How do I start working with her?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to therapist availability.

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