- 25 years experience
- AASW and AHPRA
- Inclusive practice
About Melissa
Melissa Stokes offers calm, practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and major life changes. She helps with grief, sleep and eating difficulties, parenting strain, self-esteem, work stress, mood conditions such as depression and bipolar, and challenges linked to ADHD. Melissa also supports people dealing with the effects of natural or human-caused disaster and complex issues like attachment and dissociation.
Melissa brings 25 years of clinical experience in a range of settings. She has worked in community mental health, youth justice, hospitals, sexual assault services and both public and private practice. Her background includes work on research projects and training tools for first responders, and a research thesis on online mindfulness and motivation.
Her approach is collaborative and adaptable. Sessions focus on practical skills, short-term strategies and identifying values and goals. Melissa combines cognitive and behavioural techniques with person-centred listening and attachment-aware ways of working to meet what each person needs.
She is credentialed with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and listed with AHPRA. Melissa supervises students and other clinicians and keeps up with ongoing professional development and research interests.
Outside work she enjoys hiking, foraging, music, board games, cooking, yoga and time with her dogs. That balance informs a gentle, grounded style in sessions and a focus on everyday steps people can take to feel better.
How Melissa uses therapy approaches online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions that match those values, which can be useful for anxiety, depression and coping after disaster. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and learning practical strategies to change them, often helping with sleep, mood and stress. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and can help people who struggle with connection, abandonment worries or dissociation.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist works collaboratively with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences. That may mean mixing approaches so sessions are tailored rather than fixed.
The biography notes Melissa practises online as well as from a clinic, but it does not list specific online formats here. Please confirm current session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into daily life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also allow continuity of care after a major event and make access simpler for people in different locations, while the therapist and client discuss which approach and session rhythm will work best.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Melissa support?
She supports stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, sleep and eating problems, parenting and self-esteem, mood conditions including depression and bipolar, ADHD and coping with natural or human-caused disaster.
How would sessions feel and what is the therapeutic style?
Sessions are collaborative and practical, combining listening with skill-building. Melissa blends cognitive-behavioural tools, acceptance work and person-centred listening to suit each person.
How much clinical experience is there?
Melissa has 25 years of professional experience across hospitals, community mental health, youth justice, sexual assault services and private practice.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds AASW membership and is listed with AHPRA, and practises in Australia.
Which languages are available and can international clients book?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography mentions work online and in-clinic practice. Please confirm current session options before booking to ensure the preferred format is available.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work together?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.