Melissa Dawicki

Melissa Dawicki welcomes people who are ready to take steps toward better mental health and offers an encouraging, supportive approach to counseling. She recognizes that beginning therapy can feel intimidating, and she aims to create a safe, compassionate space where individuals can explore concerns and build strength.

Melissa brings 17 years of behavioral health experience across community mental health, emergency room settings, private practice, and telehealth. She works with individuals and families on issues such as stress, anxiety, grief, anger management, low self-esteem, depression, relationship and family conflicts, sleep difficulties, career challenges, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue.

Her therapeutic approach integrates person-centered methods, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, and solution-focused strategies to tailor care to each person’s needs. Melissa is a licensed professional counselor in South Carolina and in West Virginia, and she practices from South Carolina on Eastern Time.

Melissa monitors messages two to three times per day Monday through Thursday up until 4:00 PM. She is unavailable for sessions from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM on weekdays and does not schedule appointments after 5:00 PM because of outside obligations. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are her days off. To avoid double bookings, she prefers to schedule appointments directly and is available for sessions Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; clients are encouraged to share their availability so she can try to accommodate scheduling needs.

Melissa asks clients to remember that counseling requires a commitment to change - progress often takes time as deeper issues are processed. Because services are provided through a paid subscription, active participation and consistent communication are in the client’s best interest. After two no-shows or same-day appointment cancellations, Melissa will recommend switching to another provider because missed appointments result in financial loss for both parties. She also notes that not all cases are appropriate for online counseling and that she does not accept cases where substance abuse or addiction is the chief complaint.

Clients have 24/7 access to the messaging room and may write as often and as extensively as they wish. Longer messages typically take a few days to process and respond to. Before beginning work together, Melissa reviews informed consent, mandated reporting obligations, and safety planning. She explains that emergency contact information must be completed prior to starting services and that there are limits to confidentiality required by law - specifically if a person is suicidal or homicidal; if there is abuse or neglect of a child, elderly, or disabled person; or if Melissa is subpoenaed by a court. Emergency contact details are requested for use only in a true emergency.