Melissa Mainini, MSW, LCSW

Hi, I'm Melissa! I’m so glad you’re here and wanting to take that first step toward finding someone to help. My office is a place where you can say the real thing, laugh a little, and take things at your own pace.

Maybe you're a teenager who's been told to "just talk to someone" and is not thrilled about it. Maybe you're a young adult who looks fine on paper but feels anxious, stuck, or burned out. Or maybe you're a parent lying awake wondering why you feel so disconnected from your child, and wanting to reach them again.

Whichever one you are, starting therapy is hard. Finding a counselor you can actually be real with matters more than anything else, and I take that seriously.

I work with teens (ages 12 and up), young adults, and families. For teens, that often means working with anxiety, stress, friendship and family conflict, self-esteem, big life changes, and the feeling that no one really gets it. For young adults, it might be life transitions, anxiety, depression, relationships, identity, or figuring out who you are when everyone expects you to already know. For parents and families, we often focus on communication breakdowns, ongoing conflict, parenting struggles, or finding your way back to each other when things feel tense. Whatever brings you in, I’m here to help you navigate it.

My office is warm and casual, and our conversations are intentional. I'm a dedicated cat-mom, a traveler, and an adrenaline junkie who thrives in chaos (as long as I have a system). I share personal stories when they help, and I welcome sarcasm, dark humor, and honest, unfiltered language. You don't have to clean up how you talk or how you feel to be here.

I like to describe therapy as cleaning out under your bed after a few years (or a decade) of shoving in everything you didn't want to deal with, or didn't know how to. It's messy, and it may feel worse before it feels better. But once we sort through it together, you can keep what matters, let go of what doesn't, and make room for something better. When we develop the tools to process, organize, and understand our experiences, we gain greater capacity to appreciate who we are and figure out where we’re going.

Therapy gives you time and space to find and love yourself, and then to let others know and love you, too.

I use an integrative approach, which means I draw on different tools depending on what you need rather than addressing your concerns with one specific method. Some of my work is "top-down," using cognitive-based approaches like CBT and DBT to build practical skills for managing thoughts, emotions, and coping. Some is "bottom-up," using approaches like Somatic Experiencing to work with the way stress and past experiences live in the body. I also lean on Attachment theory and Polyvagal theory, which bring both approaches together and help explain why our relationships and nervous systems react the way they do. The goal is to understand what's happening, build skills that actually work in your day-to-day life, and feel more like yourself again.

My approach to family therapy is informed by Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), which is rooted in current research on attachment and emotional connection. The idea is simple: most family conflict isn't really about chores, curfews, phones, or grades. Underneath the arguments, everyone is usually asking the same question: "Do I matter to you, and are you there for me?" When that question goes unanswered, families can get stuck in painful cycles. A parent pushes harder while a teen shuts down. Voices get louder, or the house gets quiet. In these sessions, we'll figure out what each person in your family needs to feel seen, supported, and connected, and build from there. I'll help you slow those cycles down, understand the feelings driving them, and try out new ways of reaching for each other. Over time, families often find they can talk more openly, repair after conflict more easily, and feel more like a team.

Clinical Areas of Interest

I work with clients living with all kinds of mental health concerns, and especially enjoy supporting clients looking for support with: 

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Self-harm and suicidality 

• Relational trauma and attachment wounds

• Identity development and exploration

• Self-confidence/self-worth/self-compassion

• Emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness

• Neurodivergence 

Professional Experiences

For a therapist, the learning process doesn’t end at graduation. I’m always striving to stay up to date with the latest research and learn new clinical practices. I’m committed to continuing to develop expertise by attending trainings and earning certifications in specialized areas, including but not limited to the following:

• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II: (CCTP-II) (coming soon)

• Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Truman State University in 2015,  my Master of Social Work from the University of Missouri - St. Louis in 2017, and my LCSW in 2022.

Throughout my career, I have worked alongside families in crisis as a Crisis Intervention Specialist, as well as supported individuals during mental health crises as a member of the Care Coordination team on an inpatient psychiatric unit and as a Therapist in an intensive outpatient (IOP) program.

Take Your Next Step

I offer flexible availability, both in-person and virtual, to fit within your busy schedule. To contact me directly, please email melissa@cozychaircounseling.com. I’m excited to meet you!