Melissa Timlin, LPC - Therapist in Missouri

CBT methods
DBT skills
ACT and attachment

About Melissa

Melissa Timlin is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Missouri with ten years of clinical experience. She works with adults who are feeling stuck by stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, low self-esteem, or depression and those wondering what comes next after a big life change.

Melissa draws on practical therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try different responses. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and attachment-focused ideas to address how relationships and inner values shape choices.

Her background includes a decade of active-duty service in the U.S. Navy, where she served in roles related to substance use programs and sexual assault advocacy. That experience informs her work with people affected by addiction and trauma without defining the therapy process itself.

In sessions she focuses on clear skills, short experiments, and straightforward reflection rather than abstract theory. People learn practical ways to manage intense feelings, reduce avoidance, and practice new habits between meetings.

Melissa mentions restorative practices such as body-scan meditation, breath work, and gentle movement alongside psychological tools when clients are interested. She aims to help people clarify what matters to them and take small, workable steps toward a life that feels more directed.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice what matters to them and take small, committed steps toward those values while accepting difficult feelings. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and feeling stuck. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments to reduce distress and change behavior. It fits problems like anxiety, low mood, and some patterns in addiction. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationship patterns affect feelings and responses, and it can help when abandonment, relationship difficulty, or attachment concerns are central.

Finding the right approach is often a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they will try methods that feel most useful and adjust as needed based on real progress and feedback.

Confirm current session formats before booking, since formats are not specified here. Online work can make scheduling easier by fitting sessions into a lunch break or evening, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also supports using practical homework and in-the-moment skill practice between meetings, which aligns with ACT and CBT methods.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Addictions Grief Self esteem Depression

Additional focus areas

Abandonment Aging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issues Body imageCancerCaregiver issues and stress Chronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependency Commitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgiveness Guilt and shameImpulsivityIsolation / loneliness JealousyLife purposeMen's issuesVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issues Mood disorders Multicultural concernsNarcissismPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

10+ years

Listed in

Michigan, Missouri

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, self-esteem concerns, and depression, plus related issues like commitment problems and communication difficulties.

How does she approach someone who feels stuck?

She uses practical therapies such as CBT and DBT to identify patterns and teach coping skills, and ACT and attachment ideas to clarify values and relationship dynamics.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has ten years of experience in mental health and addiction counseling, including prior service in the U.S. Navy in substance program and advocacy roles.

What are her credentials and where does she practice?

She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with licensure in Missouri and practices from Missouri.

Do sessions take place in languages other than English?

Sessions are offered in English only.

Can people from other countries work with her?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How are fees and billing handled?

Cost varies with location and sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What should I do to start a first session?

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.