Licensed clinical social worker recordColorado
Melissa McDonald Wertz, LCSW, CSW
Colorado
Licensed Clinical Social Worker - stress and trauma
Continue with MelissaCredentials check
- Credentials
- LCSW, CSW
- Licensed in Colorado
- LCSW, licence CSW.09923891
- NPI
- 1861723249
- Experience
- 10 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Colorado
These details come from information Melissa supplied to BetterHelp. A licence can be checked with the social work board of the state that issued it, and an NPI with the national registry.
AAbout
- CBT methods
- Mindfulness skills
- Motivational interviewing
About Melissa
Melissa McDonald Wertz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Colorado with ten years of experience as a therapist and case manager. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, sleep and eating problems, parenting strain, anger, and major life changes. Sessions may also address career questions, bipolar disorder, compassion fatigue, and process addictions such as gambling or exercise.
Her approach is interactive and practical. She uses clear, evidence-based strategies to help people identify unhelpful patterns and make small changes that add up. Melissa draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-based methods, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused ideas, and Trauma-Focused techniques depending on the issue.
In sessions she listens for what matters most to each person and focuses on skills that can be used between meetings. That can include thought records, goal-setting, brief behavioral experiments, or mindfulness exercises to reduce reactivity. She also brings case management experience when practical problems affect progress.
Melissa emphasizes collaboration. She discusses options, tries strategies, and adjusts plans when something isn’t working. Therapy is handled in straightforward language and with clear steps so people can apply what they’ve learned to daily life.
Her background includes direct clinical work and case management across a range of settings. Melissa is able to support people dealing with hospice and end-of-life concerns, veteran and armed forces issues, prejudice and discrimination, seasonal affective disorder, and related stressors. Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
BHow sessions work
How Melissa uses specific approaches in online work
Melissa draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. CBT typically involves setting clear goals, tracking thoughts and behaviors, and trying short experiments to test new ways of responding - useful for anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and some addiction patterns.She also uses Mindfulness Therapy to teach simple attention and breathing practices that reduce reactivity and improve emotional regulation. Mindfulness exercises can be brief and practical, which helps when stress or grief makes daily tasks harder.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Melissa will review what’s been tried, talk through goals, and suggest methods that fit a person’s needs and preferences. She adjusts plans over time and checks in about what’s helping or not.
The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. Therapists commonly adapt CBT worksheets, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing techniques for remote meetings so people can use skills between sessions.
CAreas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Colorado
Languages
English
DQuestions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she focus on?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and related issues such as grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, sleep or eating problems, and life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She uses a practical, interactive style that combines structured techniques and conversational work to build skills people can use between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has ten years of experience working as a therapist and case manager.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She holds LCSW and CSW credentials and is licensed as an LCSW in Colorado.
Can I work with her if I live outside the US?
International clients are accepted and sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, call 911, or call or text 988. More crisis numbers