Melissa Button, LMHC

Melissa Button is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in New York who helps people manage stress, anxiety, addiction concerns, low self-esteem, depression, and compassion fatigue. She uses a person-centered way of working that focuses on what matters to each client. Melissa aims to build a trusting connection early so people feel heard and understood.

After getting to know a person's priorities, she and the client identify practical steps to reduce symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning. Sessions often include skill-building for coping with strong emotions, ways to manage cravings or substance use patterns, and strategies to face social anxiety or workplace stress. She draws on tools from motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy to shape an individualized plan.

Melissa also supports people dealing with caregiver strain, chronic pain or illness, codependency, and the emotional effects of traumatic brain injury. She helps clients address guilt, shame, and isolation while strengthening communication and decision-making skills. Her work includes attention to money and career stress as well as midlife transitions.

With 15 years of professional experience, Melissa emphasizes collaboration. She treats each person as the expert on their life and uses that perspective to guide goal setting and progress. The approach is straightforward and practical, focused on small steps that add up over time.

To begin, Melissa asks clients to clarify what they want to change and then selects methods that match those goals. Her style is respectful and direct, aimed at helping people gain tools they can use between sessions.

Approaches that translate to online care

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following the client's priorities, helping people set goals that feel meaningful. This approach supports issues like anxiety, depression, and caregiver stress by centering what the person wants to change.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior and teaches practical skills to shift them. It is commonly used for anxiety, mood disorders, and stress management because it gives concrete tools to try between sessions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. It can be helpful for intense emotions, self-critical thinking, and relationship or workplace conflict.

Finding the right approach is part of the early work in therapy. The therapist will collaborate with each client to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and comfort with different techniques. That decision is revisited over time as progress and preferences become clearer.

If you are considering online therapy, check the session options before booking since specific formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Some people also prefer sessions that do not require video for lower bandwidth or a simpler check-in. Confirm available formats and scheduling details when you sign up so you can pick what fits your life.