Therapist in Brick, New Jersey Melissa Santana, Therapist

Melissa Santana at LifeStance Health provides compassionate mental health counseling for adults and older adults throughout New Jersey. She helps clients navigate life’s emotional challenges with empathy, clinical insight, and individualized support tailored to each person’s experiences and goals. Melissa offers individual therapy for those struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and major life transitions, creating a supportive space where clients can process difficult emotions and develop healthier coping strategies. Melissa is especially passionate about supporting individuals experiencing grief and loss, including disenfranchised grief, hospice-related concerns, and palliative care transitions. She understands that grief can affect every aspect of a person’s emotional and physical well-being, whether related to the loss of a loved one, chronic illness, caregiving responsibilities, or major life changes. Her approach focuses on helping clients process loss with dignity and compassion while building resilience and finding meaningful ways to move forward. She also works with clients coping with trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and postpartum depression or anxiety. Her therapeutic style integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based approaches to help clients strengthen emotional awareness, improve coping skills, and reduce distressing symptoms. Melissa also offers additional therapeutic interventions based on each client’s needs, including faith-based support when desired. She has experience supporting diverse populations, including first responders, military veterans, and individuals impacted by head injuries or adoption and foster care experiences. Melissa is bilingual in Spanish, allowing her to provide culturally responsive care for a broader range of individuals and families throughout New Jersey. She values building strong therapeutic relationships grounded in trust, collaboration, and respect for each client’s personal journey. Outside of her professional work, Melissa enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading or listening to audiobooks, and traveling. These interests help her maintain a balanced perspective and deepen her appreciation for connection, growth, and lifelong learning.