- Stress and anxiety
- Grief and loss
- LGBT concerns
About Melissa
Melissa Fisher-Goldman is a California licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 21 years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, LGBT concerns, grief, low self-esteem, and major life changes. She also addresses areas such as adoption and foster care, aging concerns, chronic illness and pain, relationship separation, and fertility-related stress.
She uses straightforward conversation to help people spot patterns that keep them stuck. Sessions focus on reducing negative self-talk and self-doubt. Melissa encourages people to notice strengths they already have and to test small changes that build confidence over time.
Her approach treats the client as the expert on their own life. She listens for practical roadblocks and offers strategies to move past them. Work often includes identifying limiting beliefs, practicing different responses, and tracking what actually helps in daily life.
Melissa has supported people through grief and loss as well as transitions like divorce, retirement, and health changes. She is familiar with issues that affect LGBTQ people, caregiving and blended family concerns, and sex culture topics such as BDSM and kink. Her experience also covers cancer, HIV/AIDS, eating-related concerns, and fatherhood issues.
People who feel uncertain about what comes next often begin by clarifying a small, concrete step. Melissa helps translate that step into a manageable plan and checks what works in real life. To start, readers are asked to confirm the current session options before booking.
Evidence-based approaches and how they work online
Melissa draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on changing unhelpful thinking and building practical habits. Cognitive-based work helps people notice negative thought patterns and then test more useful ways of thinking; this can be helpful for anxiety, low self-esteem, and self-doubt. Behavioral strategies focus on small, repeatable actions - setting tiny goals, practicing new responses, and tracking results to see what improves daily functioning.The right approach is often found together. Melissa will collaborate with the client to decide which techniques fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That means checking what feels doable, adjusting approaches based on what actually helps, and pacing work so change is manageable.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm the current online options before booking. Many people find that remote sessions make it easier to fit therapy into a workday or to continue care after a major life change. Online work can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make scheduling more flexible while the therapist and client determine the best therapeutic pathway.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Experience
21+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, self-esteem and coping with life changes. The profile also lists a range of other focuses such as adoption and chronic illness.
How does she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
She treats the client as the expert and uses practical conversation to identify unhelpful thinking. Work includes testing small changes and tracking what helps in everyday life.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 21 years of professional experience and holds an LCSW credential. Her practice history includes supporting people through grief and major life transitions.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a California LCSW and practices in California.
Does she offer sessions in any languages besides English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions scheduled and paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.