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I am a board-certified, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in working with teenagers and young adults. I have a Master’s in Counseling from Santa Clara University and am licensed to practice therapy in California.
My work as a therapist has always centered around children, teens, and their families. I tailor my approach to each client’s needs and offer the support needed to navigate relationships, identity, and the stressors that accompany work and school. When working with a client, I find it crucial to understand the contexts and systems in their environment to address wellness needs. As such, I am comfortable working with clients not only on an individual level but also with their families, partners, and schools.
In my work, I prioritize a genuine relationship with clients, blending authenticity with warmth and humor, and I use evidence-based practices to promote growth and healing. My clinical practice is informed by Relational Developmental Systems Theory and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, ensuring grounding in their background and development while building skills to move forward. When working with couples, I use the Gottman Method and Emotion Focused Therapy to encourage connection and help resolve conflict. With families, I draw on Structural Family Therapy and Attachment-Based Family Therapy, to help identify detrimental patterns and provide a path towards repair. My bicultural background as a Muslim-American woman also means that I understand the importance of cultural sensitivity in therapy, and the ways that differing cultural backgrounds can affect relationships.
My previous work in school-based psychotherapy programs also provided me with extensive experience in understanding the difficulties students may face and the methods available to address them both individually in collaboration with faculty. My role as a parent of three (excluding my two cats) shapes my worldview, and I understand firsthand the complexity of balancing family dynamics. Outside the office, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and working out.
Services Melissa Offers
I specialize in supporting children, teens, and families as they navigate the pressures of growing up and staying connected. I help clients manage stressors tied to school, work, and identity. Since everyone feels differently, I tailor my approach—integrating tools to regulate emotions while honoring the unique systems and environments you live in.
I also facilitate DBT skills groups for teens and young adults, combining structured skill-building with genuine peer connection. Learn more about our teen connection group, teen DBT skills group (13–18), young adult DBT group, and parenting group.
What It’s Like to Work With Melissa
Working with me feels like entering a collaborative, non-judgmental space where you are truly seen. I take a relational approach, meaning our therapeutic connection is the heart of our work together. Whether I am working with a child, a teen, or an adult, we explore how your earliest relationships and current environment shape your world, using the insights of attachment theory to find healing. To help you navigate daily life, I weave in practical DBT skills and psychoeducation, ensuring you leave our sessions not just feeling understood, but truly equipped.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
EMDR
Emotion Focused Therapy
Gottman Method
Attachment-Based Family Therapy
Structural Family Therapy
Education & Training
Education
M.A., Santa Clara University, Counseling Psychology
M.A., San Jose State University, Research and Experimental Psychology
B.A., San Jose State University, Psychology
Training
Comprehensive DBT
Attachment-based Family Therapy
Gottman Couples Therapy
EMDR
CBT
Additional Areas of Expertise
I also support clients navigating:
Anxiety and Depression
Educational System Support
Gifted and Twice Exceptional
Life Transitions
Parenting and Family Conflict
Relationships and Attachment
Trauma
Self-Harm
Learning Differences
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
