Works with
- Anger
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
How Melody works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCPC
- Licensed in
- Illinois
- Years in practice
- 14
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Melody
Dr. Melody Madaris is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 14 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage addiction, trauma, mood disorders, anger, and major life changes.
Her work centers on practical steps people can use right away to feel steadier and more in control. She has spent much of her career supporting individuals with substance use and bipolar disorders. That background includes running programs that combine mental health and addiction care.
Background and approach
She also oversees a residential treatment facility and multiple outpatient programs, along with a mobile crisis team and employee assistance efforts in Illinois. In sessions she emphasizes identifying the parts of life that need to change and making clear, manageable plans to start that work.
She draws on approaches that help people notice thoughts and behaviors, commit to values, and build new skills for handling strong emotions like anger. Conversations are direct and aimed at practical progress. She also brings experience with grief, eating and body image concerns, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and work-related stress for first responders and veterans.
Additional focus areas include trauma, post-traumatic stress, and process-related addictive behaviors such as gambling or pornography issues. People who meet with Dr. Madaris can expect a collaborative style.
She helps clients set goals, track small wins, and adjust plans when obstacles arise. Her background as a program administrator means she is comfortable coordinating care and helping clients find the right resources. Sessions are available in English and can be scheduled from Illinois.
She accepts international clients and offers a range of session formats to fit different needs.
What Melody works with
Everything Melody lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Melody's practice.
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Body image
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- First responder issues
- HIV / AIDS
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Approaches Melody lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Gottman Method
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approach-driven care delivered online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most and take committed action toward those values, even when strong feelings get in the way. It is useful for managing anger, coping with life changes, and reducing patterns that keep people stuck. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and practicing small changes that lead to different outcomes; it often helps with mood disorders, anxiety, and addictive behaviors. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship where the therapist listens deeply and follows the client's pace to support growth and self-understanding.Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Dr. Madaris will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and suggest methods that fit those needs. She blends methods when helpful and checks in regularly to see what is working so adjustments can be made together.
Online sessions come in several formats to suit different schedules and comfort levels. Video calls allow face-to-face work and skill practice, phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging supports brief check-ins, homework questions, or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or travel routines and to continue steady work on goals across changing days.
Questions people ask about Melody
What concerns does Dr. Madaris address?
She works with people facing addictions, trauma, bipolar disorder, depression, anger, grief, eating issues, ADHD, and related concerns such as process addictions and post-traumatic stress.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is practical and goal-oriented, helping clients make steps toward change while using skills-based methods to manage strong emotions and behaviors.
How long has she worked in mental health?
She has 14 years of professional experience in clinical and program leadership roles focused on co-occurring mental health and substance use issues.
Where is she based and what are her credentials?
She practices from Illinois and holds the Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credential, abbreviated as LCPC.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts clients from outside the United States.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to give clients flexible ways to connect.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.