Melissa Letzler

I am Melissa Letzler, and I am an Atlanta native. I attended both public and private schools growing up in Atlanta, graduating from The Galloway School.  I then attended Duke University where I majored in Psychology and minored in Computer Science.  After graduating from Duke, I returned to Atlanta to study depression and anxiety in a clinical laboratory  at Emory University focused on adolescents and adults.

 

After my experience at Emory, I was called to do more proactive early-interventions to improve the daily life of adolescents and children who are battling mental illness and every day struggles.  My journey took me to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for graduate school, where I graduated with my Masters of Education in School Counseling.

 

Since earning my masters, I have worked as a school counselor in Cobb and Fulton Counties for four years, gaining considerable understanding in the stressors children and teens face inside and outside of school and building relationships with school staff and family systems.

 

Throughout my years as a school counselor,  I have applied individual counseling, group counseling, and proactive classroom skill instruction to support the social and emotional development of diverse populations of students aged five to fifteen.   I have had extensive experience counseling children and adolescents on the following topics: emotional regulation, distress tolerance, depression, anxiety, LGBTQ issues, anger management, suicidal ideation and self harm, intersectionality and identity development, family changes, friendship and relationship difficulties, academic struggles and disengagement, ADHD and learning disabilities, chronic disease, and sexual assault and harassment.

 

I utilize an integrated theoretical approach that draws from the evidence-based theories of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Child-Centered Play Therapy, and Reality Therapy.  Depending on the client’s age and presenting issue, I may apply different techniques to best support them.  Above all else, I believe in the importance of developing a trusting, respectful relationship between counselor and client.

 

 

I very much look forward to getting to know you!