Profile / United States
Melissa Reyerson-Slifer, LISW, LCSW
California
LISW LCSW - Anxiety and Relationship Work
See online therapy options- CBT techniques
- Mindfulness practice
- Gottman methods
About Melissa
Melissa Reyerson-Slifer is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California with five years of clinical therapy experience. She sees people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, depression, low self-esteem, grief, and issues linked to intimacy and sexual health.
She offers direct, problem-focused work that helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different responses. Sessions emphasize practical tools and short-term strategies for everyday problems. Melissa uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside client-centered methods and mindfulness to help people manage symptoms and build coping skills.
Her approach also draws on motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques to set clear, achievable goals. For relationship concerns she uses elements of the Gottman Method aimed at improving communication and reducing repeated conflict patterns. Treatment can include behavioral experiments, thought records, gradual exposure, and skills practice between sessions.
Clients commonly address panic attacks, obsessive and compulsive behaviors, social anxiety, phobias, dissociation, hoarding, post-traumatic stress, bipolar-related challenges, and life transitions. Melissa works in English and provides straightforward explanations of each step in therapy. She asks about what has and has not worked before so sessions build on what the client already knows.
Getting started involves a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a first session. Melissa frames therapy as collaborative problem-solving where the client’s goals guide which techniques are prioritized.
How Melissa Uses Structured Approaches Online
Melissa combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with client-centered work and elements of the Gottman Method. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors with specific exercises and homework. Client-centered work emphasizes listening and reflecting so the person can set their own goals and notice what matters most. The Gottman Method contributes communication exercises and concrete strategies for reducing repeated conflict patterns in relationships.Choosing the right approach is part of the process. Melissa treats the selection of techniques as collaborative, matching methods to the person’s goals, preferences, and the problems they bring. She will check in about what is or isn’t working and shift focus when needed so sessions stay practical and relevant.
Confirm current session options before booking since the biography does not list specific formats. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. Therapists can assign CBT worksheets, guide mindfulness exercises in-session, and walk through communication practices that can be tried between meetings to reinforce new skills.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Iowa, California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What problems does she commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, depression, low self-esteem, grief, anger, bipolar concerns, and intimacy-related issues.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and habits and to test alternative responses with behavioral experiments and skills practice between sessions.
What is her clinical background?
She has five years of direct therapy experience and over a decade working in the mental health field in roles that supported clinical practice.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She holds the LISW and LCSW credentials and practices in California.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients currently.
What session formats are used?
Please confirm current session options before booking since the original biography does not list specific session formats.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.