Melanie Reyes, LMFT - Therapist in California

EMDR work
Mindfulness
Motivational interviewing

About Melanie

Melanie Reyes is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 12 years of experience. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, depression, and related concerns such as grief, sleep problems, and parenting stress.

Her approach centers on listening and on practical, usable steps. Sessions focus on what is happening now and on building skills clients can use between meetings. She uses client-centered methods and mindfulness to help people notice patterns and make small changes that feel manageable.

Melanie also offers work with trauma using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) techniques when appropriate. She draws on psychodynamic ideas to look at longer-standing patterns that affect current relationships and behavior. Motivational interviewing is used when people want to change habits or address addictions; it supports clear goals and next steps.

She blends conversation, gentle skills practice, and grounding exercises rather than long lectures. Sessions are straightforward and paced to the person in front of her. English and Tagalog are available for people who prefer either language.

Melanie's background includes a focus on attachment matters, adoption and foster care topics, caregiving strain, chronic illness, body image, and career concerns. Her work also covers coping with life changes, commitment and communication difficulties, codependency, and compassion fatigue. To start, clients use the site matching process and schedule an initial session through the online options.

How Melanie uses specific approaches online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what the client says. Online sessions using this approach prioritize the person's own goals and pace, and help clarify what matters most. EMDR is a method used to address distress tied to past traumatic events; it involves structured bilateral input and processing to reduce emotional charge around memories. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and to ground attention in the present moment.

Finding the best approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about current needs and preferences, and decide together which methods to try first. That plan can change as progress is made or new issues come up; choices are collaborative rather than fixed.

Confirm the exact session formats before booking, since the biography does not list specific options here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, let people join from a quieter space, or allow shorter check-ins when time is limited. It also makes it simpler to keep continuity when life is in flux, while the therapist and client adjust pacing and techniques to what works best for each person.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse Depression

Also works with

Addictions GriefSleeping disordersParenting issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issues Communication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesIsolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issues Mood disorders Multicultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSelf-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issues Workplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

12+ years

Listed in

California

Languages

English, Tagalog

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she help with?

She supports people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and parenting strain, grief, sleep problems, and related issues listed on her profile.

What is her therapy style like?

Sessions are conversational and skill-focused, using short exercises and practical steps alongside reflective talk to address current problems.

How much experience does she have?

She has 12 years of clinical experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California.

What are her credentials and location?

She is an LMFT licensed in California and practices with that credential in that state.

Which languages are offered?

Sessions are offered in English and Tagalog.

Can I work with her from another country?

She does not accept international clients at this time.

How are sessions arranged and paid for?

Costs vary by location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time; pricing details depend on where you live.

How do I get started?

Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule your first session.