Melissa Lebreton

Melissa Lebreton is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) practicing in Maine with 16 years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, and major life changes. She also focuses on life purpose, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, and perinatal concerns including pregnancy and postpartum challenges.

She helps people who feel stuck after a change or who question what comes next. Sessions address panic and anxiety symptoms, communication problems, feelings of isolation, and the aftermath of trauma. Melissa pays attention to guilt, shame, impulse difficulties, and control issues that can get in the way of making choices.

Her approach is practical and person-centered. She talks with clients about concrete coping skills, ways to manage distressing symptoms, and how to repair strained communication. Work often includes learning short-term strategies for anxiety and longer conversations about life purpose and midlife transitions.

Melissa brings experience supporting people through pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum depression, as well as those adjusting to chronic illness or disability. She also works with individuals processing natural or human-caused disasters and other sudden changes.

Sessions are conducted in English. International clients are not currently accepted. Costs vary by location and are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, prospective clients use the See online therapy options button, complete a brief matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

How therapeutic approaches are used in online sessions

Melissa uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques focused on practical change and symptom relief. One commonly used approach is skill-based work for anxiety and panic, which involves learning breathing and grounding techniques, identifying triggers, and practicing short coping strategies to reduce immediate symptoms.

Another focus is trauma-informed work that helps people process upsetting memories and their effects. This involves pacing discussions, building tolerable ways to talk about difficult events, and developing strategies to manage strong emotions that arise afterward.

Finding the right method is part of the work. Melissa will discuss different options with clients and together decide which approaches fit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative decision is revisited as progress is made.

If you plan to work online, confirm the specific session formats before booking because the biography does not list exact options. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, shorten travel time, and allow check-ins during breaks. Some formats also let people choose phone-only check-ins when video is not practical. These practical benefits can help maintain consistency while exploring life purpose and navigating change.