Therapist in Westminster, California Melyssa DePaolo, Therapist

Welcome! I am a licensed clinical social worker (since 2013) who is passionate and dedicated to mental health and the adventures of the human experience. I enjoy working with people who are curious about their life and motivated for change, growth and healing. I specialize in PTSD & trauma, LGBTQIA+ affirming, integrative attachment therapy, adoption/foster care related issues with children, families and individuals. Other areas of experience and specialty include anxiety, depression, grief and loss, OCD, phobias, and somatic sensorimotor integration.

I utilize various therapeutic approaches and practices to meet the needs of my clients such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Exposure Response Therapy, play therapy, art for healing, CBT and DBT techniques, trauma focused therapy, and attachment parenting skills. I also appreciate the importance of humor and creativity within the therapeutic relationship. I received my Bachelors in Family Studies and Early Childhood Education from the University of Utah, and my Masters in Social Work with a mental health concentration from the University of Southern California. I have extensive experience in primitive wilderness and high adventure therapy, residential youth programs and therapeutic boarding schools.