Melissa Fogle, LMFT

Therapist in California

Compassionate therapist for anxiety and self-esteem

Continue with Melissa

Review online therapy options on BetterHelp.

21 years of experience listed

LMFT professional credentials

English languages

Anxiety and stress
Self esteem support
Grief and loss

About Melissa

Melissa Fogle is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California with 21 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, trauma, or major life changes. Melissa also supports people dealing with grief, low self-esteem, and low motivation.

She uses clear, practical conversation to help clients name what feels hard. Sessions are a place to talk through emotions, sort through relationships, and make small steps toward feeling better. Melissa aims to create a calm, nonjudgmental space where people can be honest about their struggles.

Her background includes long-term clinical experience working with stress and trauma-related symptoms. That experience informs how she structures sessions so they feel steady and manageable. Melissa brings approaches that focus on skills and processing difficult memories as needed.

She often supports people facing caregiver strain, communication breakdowns, control issues, and questions about life purpose. Topics such as forgiveness, guilt and shame, self-love, and women’s issues are also within her practice focus.

Therapy with Melissa is collaborative. She helps clients set goals, practice coping skills, and notice progress over time. To begin, clients complete a brief matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

How DBT and EMDR inform online care

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, focuses on teaching practical skills for handling strong emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating distress. It often includes straightforward skill practice and checking in on how those skills fit daily life. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR, is a method used to help process distressing memories so they feel less triggering; it combines memory-focused work with guided attention or bilateral stimulation and is often used for trauma-related symptoms.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and suggest whether DBT-style skills, EMDR-informed memory work, or a mix feels like the best path. Clients and therapist adjust the plan as progress and comfort evolve.

Confirm current session options before booking because session formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, reduce commute time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people practice skills in real-life moments and bring those experiences back to sessions for discussion and adjustment.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseGrief Self esteem Coping with life changes

Additional focus areas

Caregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsControl issuesForgiveness Guilt and shame Life purposeSelf-loveWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Experience

21+ years

Credentials

California

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Melissa commonly help with?

She helps people struggling with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, and coping with life changes. Additional focuses include caregiver stress, communication problems, control issues, and self-love.

What is her style and therapeutic approach?

She uses practical conversation and collaborative goal-setting. Her work incorporates skill-based methods and memory-processing approaches when appropriate.

How long has she practiced therapy?

Melissa has 21 years of professional work experience in clinical settings. That background shapes how she structures sessions and supports people over time.

What credential does she hold and where is she located?

She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, LMFT, licensed in California. Her professional practice is based in that state.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the U.S. work with her?

She is not currently accepting international clients.

How does payment and cost work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I get started with therapy?

Begin by selecting the continue button on this profile and completing a short matching questionnaire. After that, schedule sessions according to therapist availability.