Melissa Guarnaccia, LISW-CP, LCSW
Compassionate, action-focused therapy for strong emotions
Book with MelissaWorks with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Self esteem
- Depression
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LISW-CP, LCSW
- Licensed in
- North Carolina, South Carolina
- Years in practice
- 11
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Melissa
Melissa Guarnaccia is a licensed clinical social worker who uses practical, action-focused therapy to help people manage strong emotions and life stressors. She brings 11 years of experience and blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to keep sessions grounded and useful. Melissa keeps a relaxed, nonjudgmental tone while encouraging small, workable steps toward change.
In sessions she helps people notice unhelpful thoughts, test new behaviors, and clarify what matters most to them.
Background and approach
She often pairs thought-focused work from CBT with ACT tools that focus on values and committed action. That mix can be useful when people are coping with anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, or grief. Her background includes clinical roles in hospitals, schools, and independent practice.
Melissa also leads community workshops on parenting using the Love and Logic approach and draws on that experience when clients bring family concerns into therapy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Melissa sees therapy as a collaborative process. She aims to set clear goals, try practical tools between sessions, and adjust the plan as needed. Sessions focus on skills that can be used outside of the therapy hour to reduce distress and improve everyday functioning.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and a pug named Mabel. Outside work she enjoys outdoor time and travel, and she brings that down-to-earth perspective into her clinical work.
What Melissa works with
Everything Melissa lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Melissa's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
Approaches Melissa lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How CBT and ACT Shape Online Sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take small actions toward them even when emotions are strong. It emphasizes noticing difficult thoughts without getting stuck and choosing behavior that matches what matters most.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and testing thoughts that feed distress and learning practical skills to change patterns of thinking and behavior. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, anger, and stress-related problems.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Melissa will collaborate with each person to decide whether ACT, CBT, or a combination fits their goals and daily life. The approach can be adjusted over time based on how tools are working.
Online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skill practice, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can support shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging helps with ongoing coaching between appointments. These options offer flexibility so people can choose what suits their routine and comfort while working toward clearer goals.
Questions people ask about Melissa
What concerns does Melissa address in therapy?
Melissa helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, relationship struggles, grief, trauma, self-esteem, eating issues, career concerns, and bipolar-related challenges.
What is her general therapy style?
She uses a relaxed, nonjudgmental approach that is also action-oriented. Sessions focus on practical steps and skills to try between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Melissa has 11 years of experience in settings that include hospitals, schools, and independent practice.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds SC LISW-CP and NC LCSW credentials and practices from North Carolina.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available online?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.