Melissa White

A Personal Welcome

I know that sometimes talk therapy alone can feel like it only reaches the surface. I work with adults who are ready to understand the experiences that shaped them, make sense of how those experiences still show up today, and explore what may be underneath patterns that have been difficult to change. Therapy with me is a place for curiosity, honesty, and real work, without needing to clean up your story before you walk through the door.

My own path has included trauma, grief, difficult seasons, joy, adventure, gratitude, and plenty of unexpected turns. Those experiences helped lead me to social work and continue to shape how deeply I value reconnection, healing, and helping people become excited about their lives again. I show up authentically, with humor, directness, and warmth, and I tend to connect especially well with people who appreciate a therapist who is down-to-earth and a little rough around the edges.

Whether you are healing from trauma, navigating addiction or recovery, living with anxiety or depression, moving through grief or a major life transition, or simply trying to understand yourself more deeply, my goal is to help you create meaningful change that lasts.

My Approach to Individual Therapy

I believe therapy should go beyond managing symptoms when there is an opportunity to understand and address what is driving them. I integrate several approaches, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), somatic and Polyvagal-informed work, psychedelic integration, and other trauma-focused methods, tailoring the work to each person’s needs and goals.

A major part of my clinical work is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR is an evidence-based trauma therapy designed to help the brain process experiences that can remain emotionally or physically ‘stuck’ long after the event itself has passed. I use EMDR to help clients work with traumatic experiences, painful memories, and patterns that continue to shape present-day emotions, relationships, and functioning.

EMDR: A Core Part of My Work

EMDR is especially important in my work because healing does not always happen through insight or conversation alone. When distressing experiences have been stored in ways that continue to activate the nervous system, EMDR can create another pathway for processing them so they no longer carry the same intensity or control.

I combine EMDR with a broader understanding of the whole person. Depending on what fits you best, we may also use IFS to understand the different parts of you that learned to protect, survive, cope, or carry pain, along with somatic and nervous-system-informed strategies that help you reconnect with yourself in a safer, more integrated way.

Trauma, Addiction & Deeper Healing

I have extensive experience working with trauma and PTSD, addiction and substance use, anxiety, depression, dissociation, grief, difficult life transitions, and complex emotional concerns. Earlier in my career, I spent significant time working in psychiatric hospitals and emergency rooms, experiences that gave me a deep respect for people living through intense and complicated seasons of life.

I am particularly drawn to clients who are curious about themselves and willing to explore the experiences beneath the surface. The goal is not simply to feel better for a moment, but to shift perspective, create new meaning, reconnect with yourself, and build changes that can hold up in everyday life.

Credentials & Training

I am a Master of Social Work and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor (MSW, LCSW-S) in Texas. My clinical approach includes specialized work with EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), trauma-focused and somatic approaches, Polyvagal Theory, motivational and person-centered methods, and psychedelic integration. I also provide clinical supervision and am currently accepting supervisees.

Areas of Focus

  • Trauma, PTSD & Dissociation
  • Anxiety & Depression
  • Complex Life Transtitions
  • Grief & Loss
  • Psychedelic Integration
  • Addiction & Substance Use

How We Can Work Together

  • Individual Adult Therapy
  • EMDR & Trauma Therapy
  • Trauma & PTSD Therapy
  • Psychedelic Integration
  • Clinical Supervision

Who I Work With

  • Adults (18+)
  • Parents, Single & Partnered Adults
  • Older Adults (65+)

Fees & Sessions

Individual Adult Therapy
 $150 per session

Where We Can Meet

In Person

Relateborhood 1017 N. Bowen Rd. Arlington, Texas

Virtual

Virtual appointments are available.

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