Therapist in Tarrytown, New York Melinda C Zappone, Therapist

I view all mental health challenges through a trauma-informed lens. This means that regardless of the mental health, physical health, or relational issue, there is a pattern of holding things that need to be addressed, seen both as the story of what has happened to us and as the solution. At any moment, your problems can be an invitation to learn more about your inner blueprint of holding things. My passion for this concept is reflected in my certifications in Level 3 Relational Life Therapy, Level 2 Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP2), and various others I am happy to share to help you explore. I am a member of the International Association of Trauma Professionals, where I stay current with these tools. I hold a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and am licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in New York (LMHC). My background in LifeForce Yoga Practitioner Training, Somatic Experiencing certifications, and several Trauma-Informed Yoga/Care certifications equip me to introduce new approaches in sessions—ways that talking alone may limit.

I believe in giving back and have worked on community projects for over 20 years, as well as developed a free resource organization offering a free podcast and live healing events through the concept, Everyone Needs You Always (ENYA). ENYA’s mission aims to democratize therapy, making tools accessible outside of the ability to pay for professional help. As a trauma therapist, trauma educator, writer, coach, and project leader, I adopt a strength-based and relational, person-centered approach. This means I highly value what I call full-body listening—I listen to individuals by paying attention to both what they say and how they say it. I approach others with curiosity, saying, “Let’s work together to understand this life you’ve been living and reach a deeper understanding of who you are.” My approach is relational, emphasizing the collective rights that all humans deserve while also being personalized.

Through a personal journey, I created The Toolbox Approach (R), a phases of healing approach that sets up trauma-informed care in each session, no matter the mental health condition, current stressor, related health issues, situational or relational trauma. My belief in this approach comes from my background training as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Level 2, and personal experience tailoring the phases of healing to match with trauma-informed tools for reprocessing, narrative healing, and relational healing for in-session and self-helping in between sessions. I believe we desperately need a new paradigm—no one needs fixing; we need tools to learn about ourselves, even from the lessons our pain may hold when we move on too quickly. From this relational perspective, I see myself not as an expert but as a partner. The question is, “How are we as a team going to approach the personal classroom you hold inside?” This shift from individualistic to relational thinking applies both organizationally and systemically. I am a collaborator who values communication from an ecological perspective: we are all on this planet together, and we understand ourselves more fully through relationships. So, everything matters.