Melissa Ardelean, LPCC

Melissa Ardelean is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California who helps people facing relationship and intimacy-related issues. She also supports those dealing with family conflict, trauma and abuse, and major life changes. Her tone is direct and open, and she focuses on meeting clients where they are.

Melissa uses practical, evidence-based methods to help people build skills and reach goals. She works alongside clients to identify strengths and create step-by-step plans. Sessions emphasize concrete tools for communication, coping, and emotional regulation.

Her experience includes supporting people with complex trauma, abuse, blended family concerns, and immigrant family dynamics. She has worked with teens, young adults, and adults on interpersonal challenges and on issues related to fatherhood and caregiving stress. Melissa also addresses topics such as body image, chronic illness, and intimacy-related concerns including kink and alternative sex culture.

Clients can expect a collaborative approach that draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, and Client-Centered Therapy. Melissa helps clients practice new behaviors, try different ways of communicating, and notice unhelpful patterns.

Sessions are offered by telehealth video only, and she schedules later afternoon, evening, night, late night, and weekend appointments. She encourages people to reach out if they need hours not listed so she can try to accommodate them.

How therapy approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and then choose actions that match their values. It is useful for relationship distress, anxiety about intimacy, and making life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying patterns of thought and behavior that cause problems and practicing concrete alternatives. CBT can help with communication problems, body image concerns, and coping with chronic illness.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the client to decide which methods make the most sense for their goals, needs, and preferences. This is a collaborative conversation that can shift over time as progress is made.

Melissa offers therapy through telehealth video sessions only, so please confirm exact session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, allow later-hour appointments, and reduce travel time. Video sessions also make it simpler to maintain continuity when life gets complicated and allow focused work on communication and emotion skills from wherever a person is able to attend.