Melissa Hurt , LICSW

Melissa Hurt is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in Minnesota who holds the LICSW credential - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker - and completed a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis on macro social work issues. She pursued clinical licensure to combine systems-level understanding with hands-on clinical practice. Melissa pays close attention to how social systems, cultural contexts, and family histories shape daily life and the challenges people bring to therapy.

Her professional background includes work in disability services supporting teams of social workers, and experience with young college professionals and members of the military community. Having been a military spouse and raising a family with three teenagers has informed her perspective on long-term partnerships, blended family dynamics, and the stresses that accompany frequent transitions. Melissa describes her approach as strengths-focused and compassionate, offering creative alternatives while helping people explore what struggles might teach them.

She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family issues, LGBT matters, addictions, grief, parenting and career questions, among other areas. Her clinical practice draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness strategies, and motivational interviewing. Melissa aims to be a trusted confidant who offers honest, compassionate support and encouragement as people pursue greater stability, meaning, and well-being.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Melissa combines several evidence-informed approaches to help people build more fulfilling lives. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings while taking action toward meaningful goals - it can be useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people identify and reshape interaction patterns in relationships by working with emotions as a route to connection and repair - it is often used for couples and attachment concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical tools to recognize and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, making it useful for mood, anxiety, and coping with everyday challenges.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Melissa approaches that choice collaboratively. She works with each person to identify goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, adapting methods as progress and needs evolve.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers flexibility - sessions can happen by video call, by phone, or through live chat and text-based messaging - which makes it easier to fit care into a busy life and to access support from wherever the client is located. These options help maintain continuity of care and allow therapists and clients to find routines that best support the work they do together.