Dr. Melody Madaris , LCPC

Dr. Melody Madaris is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with more than 14 years of experience supporting people facing trauma, substance use challenges, and bipolar disorder. She has built a practice grounded in practical change strategies and an emphasis on building trust through genuine, relatable connections. As an experienced administrator at a community mental health center, Dr. Madaris oversees co-occurring disorders services that combine substance use and mental health treatment and leads a multidisciplinary team of more than 60 staff members.

Her administrative responsibilities include management of a residential treatment facility, six outpatient co-occurring programs, a 24-hour mobile crisis program, an employee assistance program, a mental health awareness initiative, and a substance abuse prevention program. Those roles inform her clinical work, offering a systems-level perspective on recovery, relapse prevention, and long-term support planning.

Dr. Madaris emphasizes actionable steps when clients are ready to pursue change, recognizing that identifying where to focus effort and maintaining momentum are central to lasting progress. She aims to guide people along the path to improved wellbeing by combining clinical skills, leadership experience, and a collaborative approach to treatment.

Therapeutic Approaches and Remote Care

Dr. Melody Madaris integrates several evidence-informed approaches into her work to address complex mental health and addiction concerns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people clarify their values, accept difficult internal experiences, and commit to actions that align with what matters most - it is useful for managing chronic distress, addictive behaviors, and life transitions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) concentrates on identifying unhelpful thoughts and patterns and replacing them with more adaptive skills; it is often applied to depression, anxiety, mood instability, and behavior change related to substance use. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness skills, making it helpful for intense mood swings, self-destructive behaviors, and high emotional reactivity.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Madaris works with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts strategies over time as progress unfolds.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - offer practical benefits such as greater scheduling flexibility, easier access from different locations, and the ability to continue care during life transitions. Licensed professionals and therapists can adapt these formats to deliver structured, goal-oriented work that matches a client's lifestyle and treatment objectives.