Melissa Millian Katz, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Most clients tell me they feel comfortable with me almost immediately, often within the first phone call. I don’t rush you or sit behind emotional distance. I show up as a real person, warm, steady, curious, and without judgment, so you can finally stop carrying everything alone. My approach is conversational and grounded in real life. I help you slow your thoughts enough to separate fear from reality, soften the self-criticism that’s been running the show, and understand the experiences that shaped you. I gently challenge the patterns that keep you anxious or overwhelmed, but always in a way that feels supportive rather than intrusive. People often say therapy with me feels surprisingly natural, like speaking with someone who truly gets them.

I work with teens, young adults, adults, and older adults. I have a special place in my heart for parents who are worried about their children, women who feel stretched thin or disconnected from themselves, and people navigating chronic illness or cancer. Having walked through many of these experiences personally, as a mom, caregiver, and cancer survivor, I understand the fear, the exhaustion, and the quiet thoughts you may not feel comfortable sharing with anyone else. I help you untangle those worries, see things more clearly, and find steadier, more compassionate ground. I also work with people who carry old hurts from childhood, who struggle to trust themselves, or who feel anxious in relationships with parents, partners, or peers. Some of my clients have chaotic family dynamics, intrusive relatives, or complicated mother-daughter relationships. Others are teens who feel different or misunderstood. I offer perspective, reassurance, and the kind of honest guidance that helps you find confidence again. People come to me when they’re tired of feeling overwhelmed, afraid they’re “messing everything up,” or stuck in patterns they can’t quite name. They stay because they feel protected, understood, and relieved to have a place where they don’t have to perform strength. Many eventually move on because they’re truly feeling better. And to me, that’s the goal.

My practice is fully virtual, which gives you privacy, flexibility, and the comfort of meeting from the space where you already feel most like yourself. Whether you?re coming in for the first time or returning after a difficult experience elsewhere, I?m here to make therapy feel human, safe, and genuinely helpful.