Treatment Options

Dr. Mellen’s approaches to treatment are selected to meet the needs of her clients and include:

• Cognitive Behavioral
• Family Systems
• Interpersonal
• Brief Solution Focused
• Behavioral

Areas of Specialization

Anxiety Disorders

Most of us experience anxiety and distress at different times in our lives, and anxiety presents in many forms. We may occasionally be fearful before a medical precedure or when readying to take an exam. Others may find themselves worrying about having forgotten to do something before they left for work that morning. The idea of having to speak in public may create intense anxiety in others. And for some, the fear of having to travel by airplane can produce such overwhelming fear that they may choose inconvenience over being an airline passenger. When anxiety becomes dibilitating, it is important to remember that the condition is treatable and that there are evidence-based therapies that help a client resolve different types of anxienty so that life can be enjoyed much more fully.

Depression

Individuals may experience times when they feel sad or down.  Often, this change in mood may be in reaction to a major life change or a loss and an opportunity to process these feelings in counseling will help these individuals move forward and put their sadness behind them.  When negative feelings occur nearly every day, days on end, and include feelings of hopelessness, fatigue and physical changes such as insomnia, the condition may be more serious, and the treatment plan may include both weekly or biweekly verbal therapy as well as the addition of an anti-depressant medication.  Dr. Mellen adheres to evidence-based treatment models when treating depression and when medication is included in treatment planning, she works closely with the prescribing physician.

Life Transitions

Including grief and bereavement, career counseling, changes in parenting roles and divorce recovery.

Transitions and change can be difficult even when they are understood as being expected. When we suffer a loss, change careers, begin new life roles in our personal or career life we need to process changes constructively as we make decisions that will impact on our future.  Counseling guidance and support can be especially important at these times so that a life transition can allow us to face our feature with renewed vitality.

Parenting and Parent- Child Problems

Parenting is one of the most important jobs any of us will ever have and one that you can never quit. It can give us the greatest pleasure but at times it may also present the greatest difficulties. You want to raise your child so that he or she will become a well-adjusted adult, but many times this can seem impossible. Raising an emotionally healthy child today usually requires us to know more about how to do our job than by simply depending on what we learned from the parenting we received. New studies and information about how to handle the special challenges that some children present, the difficulties imposed by a separation or divorce, the fatigue and lack of available hours when having to maintain a busy work schedule in a two career or single parent household are a short list of the challenges that are presenting to today’s parents.

In addition, parents are having to handle changing expectations for both their parenting and their children’s behaviors in a world where social media, internet and shifting cultural norms have transformed the landscape. Assistance with parenting issues is multi modal and often includes both individual parent and child counseling and parent education and sessions that include parents and children or parents together. Dr. Mellen is experienced and well trained in providing these services so that children can grow up in healthy families with parents who do their job well and children who are well socialized and resilient. 

Adult and Child ADHD/ADD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder are both identified in the mental health community as disorders that present as a persistent pattern of an attention or hyperactivity and impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.  Children and adults who are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD often present with behaviors that make it difficult for them to adapt optimally to the world around them.  Research has demonstrated that the most effective and evidence-based treatments include both consideration of medication as well as verbal therapy.  In longitudinal studies, individuals who take advantage of this dual treatment approach are far more likely to achieve success both during their childhood and throughout their adult lives.  Dr. Mellen welcomes your inquiry as to her treatment approaches when dealing with ADHD/ADD with both children and adults. 

Divorce and Blended- Family Issues

The emotional journey after or during a divorce can be very hard on the heart. It is the loss of a major attachment relationship. Studies have demonstrated that divorce counseling with individuals or couples planning on this major life change can help them process their divorce constructively and rebuild their life with hope and positivity. However, with or without divorce counseling, it takes time for these new families to restructure themselves, and frequently there are conflicted loyalties and confusion for the parents and children of divorce. Parents that were previously together, now have to learn how to communicate and interact in ways that are in their children’s best interest, often times, when they are still processing attachment wounds. Parents enter into new romantic relationships and remarry and blended families begin with children developing relationships with stepsiblings and sometimes with new younger half siblings. Counseling support, individual, couple or family and education can make all of these changes far more workable. Dr. Mellen is experienced and highly qualified to provide counseling services when family members are struggling with attachment losses.

Women’s Issues 

Women’s issues including assertiveness training; lesbian partnerships; recovery from the impact of gender bias, gender role orientation, discrimination and victimization; empowerment and self-advocacy, ageism, body image disturbances and issues relevant to systemic bias.