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Melanie Bannish, LCSW

Experienced mental health professional

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

At a glance

Melanie is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

5.0 stars
Clients are very satisfied with Melanie. View 47 reviews
Great news, Melanie is accepting new clients!
She is normally fully-booked.
Speaks English
Offers Telehealth visits
Licensed in Missouri

Recent reviews

Melanie listens and offers real help. She has been a great resource for everything I need.

Reviewed November 2024

She is amazing. I love her

Reviewed November 2024

More about Melanie

  • 24 years' experience
  • Female
  • LCSW

Hello. If you are looking at therapist profiles it is likely that you are coping with something significant in your life. It is important to find a counselor you think would be a good fit for you and able to understand and help.

I am a licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri with 20 years of experience. And, I have a broad range of professional interests, experience and professional expertise. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend several years in South America working with children who have medical needs. And I became involved with indigenous peoples struggles and women’s issues while there. After returning to the US, I coordinated a bilingual domestic violence program for Spanish speaking women in collaboration with the Catholic church . Among other people I have worked with are: court-referred clients, EAP professionals and people with disabilities.

I also have a strong interest in spirituality and it’s role in health and healing. I was fortunate to be able to participate as a therapist in a study measuring the benefits of religious beliefs in the treatment of trauma survivors. I was also invited to visit a Buddhist ashram in New England where I was able to learn more about meditation, nutrition and other practices. I believe that spirituality can be an integral part of a person’s healing and development and I take a holistic approach in my work.

My counseling style is friendly and compassionate. I can talk with you using a combination of text, phone and video depending upon what we decide. I feel honored to be a part of your journey.

Specialties

Anger management Self esteem Depression Coping with life changes Compassion fatigue Stress Anxiety Addictions LGBT Relationship issues Family conflicts Trauma and abuse Grief Intimacy-related issues Eating disorders Sleeping disorders Parenting issues Career difficulties Bipolar disorder ADHD Abandonment Adoption and Foster Care Aging and Geriatric Issues Attachment issues Autism and Asperger Syndrome Blended Family Issues Body image Caregiver issues and stress Chronic pain illness and disability Codependency Communication problems Control issues Divorce and separation Domestic Violence Eating and Food-Related Issues Emptiness Family of Origin Issues Family Problems Fertility Issues First Responder Issues Forgiveness Guilt and shame Hearing Impaired Hoarding Immigration Issues Impulsivity Intellectual Disability Isolation / loneliness Life purpose Midlife crisis Money and financial issues Mood disorders Multicultural Concerns Panic disorder and panic attacks Postpartum Depression Post-traumatic stress Pregnancy and childbirth Prejudice and Discrimination Self-love Sexual Assault and Abuse Sexuality Social anxiety and phobia Visually Impaired Women's issues Workplace issues Young Adult Issues

Treatment Approaches

  • Attachment-Based Therapy
  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Existential Therapy
  • Mindfulness Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Solution-Focused Therapy
  • Somatic Therapy
  • Trauma-Focused Therapy

Licenses

Melanie Bannish's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1336278118.

  • LCSW · Missouri · 002633 · Expires September 2025

About online counseling

Affordable.
Pay a low flat fee.
Convenient.
Do it at your own time and at your own pace. Communicate whenever you feel it's needed.
Available now.
There is no waiting list and no calls to make. Simply fill out a short questionnaire and send your first message.

Online counseling, also known as teletherapy, is a method of delivering mental health services through digital means such as video conferencing, phone calls, or messaging platforms. It can be an ideal option for individuals who have difficulty accessing traditional therapy due to geographical distance, time constraints, or personal preferences like privacy and comfort. Many people find it easier to open up from the familiarity of their own space.

Teletherapy has been found to be highly effective, with studies showing that it can produce similar outcomes to in-person therapy, particularly for issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The flexibility and accessibility it offers make it a valuable alternative to conventional therapy settings.

Reviews for Melanie Bannish

All reviews have been submitted by clients after seeing the provider.

Overall rating:

5.0

47 reviews

5
4
3
2
1

Clients mention: Great Helpful Recommend Comfortable Easy Wonderful Amazing Helped Listens Understanding

Melanie listens and offers real help. She has been a great resource for everything I need.

Reviewed November 2024

She is amazing. I love her

Reviewed November 2024

She’s amazing and listens very well!

Reviewed November 2024

She’s great

Reviewed November 2024

I didn’t realize how much it would help to talk to someone about the issues I was having. Melanie is very easy to talk to and it’s a good give and take. Me talking and her listening and then her talking and me listening. She has given me some very practical suggestions which have given me a sense of control over my own life, and increased my confidence. I never thought I would like on-line counseling but I don’t think I would go to counseling any other way now. I will be continuing with Melanie!

Reviewed September 2024

You guys are fabulous.

Reviewed September 2024

Melanie is very kind, helpful, listens and guides the conversation in a wonderful manner. I feel very comfortable with her.

Reviewed August 2024

Melanie is very knowledgeable and offered many growth techniques during our sessions. I felt comfortable sharing and following her advice.

Reviewed July 2024

Melanie is an incredible therapist! She is very kind, caring, and helpful. I appreciate her collaborative approach and her homework assignments are very helpful! She uses goals effectively to monitor progress and I feel comfortable talking to her.

Reviewed June 2024

She’s astute. Her patience and honesty have transformed my life.

Reviewed May 2024

Wonderful therapist!

Reviewed April 2024

I truly appreciate Melanie and enjoy talking with her. Her sweet demeanor and sense of humor are charming, but also help me to feel very comfortable with sharing my thoughts..

Reviewed March 2024

We are still in the early stages of therapy but I think that Melanie is a great fit.

Reviewed December 2023

Melanie is extremely understanding and insightful. I’d recommend her to anyone who reached out through BetterHelp.

Reviewed November 2023

Very compassionate and understanding.. I struggle with trusting therapists but when I'm speaking with her I don't feel like I'm talking to a therapist as much as I feel like I'm venting to my ride or die best friend!!!

Reviewed September 2023

Melanie is a thought and caring listener. She always has great recommendations. My life has greatly improved since meeting Melanie.

Reviewed June 2023

Melanie is a great listener, with a lot of experience.

Reviewed June 2023

I have had a good experience with Melanie.

Reviewed June 2023

The greatest listening well and gives you the feed back that you need not want

Reviewed March 2023

Melanie is very easy to talk to and listens to my concerns. She helps me establish small weekly goals that can become big wins when you are building confidence. She acknowledges those wins and provides great insight. I would highly recommend Melanie as a therapist to help you build confidence and overcome years of unhealthy self-talk.

Reviewed February 2023

She has really helped me and as a trans person I feel she's very accepting and kind. I am at times hesitant to talk about my own trans related issues but with her its easy and feels like I'm talking to an old friend

Reviewed February 2023

Melanie is wonderful. I have been with her for three sessions and she is giving me training and hand outs on how to make new habits to reach my goals. Also, as I tell her my story she is able to recognize things to bring to my attention so I can think about these things differently. A new point of view. Her knowledge level and expertise was very evident to me by second week. In addition Melanie responds very quickly to me through the Ap (often within minutes.). It is obvious she really enjoys helping others.

Reviewed January 2023

Wonderful!

Reviewed January 2023

I appreciate the way that Melanie holds space for me in each session yet gently challenges me with ‘homework’ and accountability in my growth.

Reviewed January 2023

It has not been a month yet that I have been working with Melanie and she has truly changed my life. At first I didn’t think I could afford the program, but after working with her and thinking about how important my mental health is; I will continue with Melanie long term. Melanie is an amazing, kind, understanding therapist.

Reviewed November 2022

Great Work!

Reviewed September 2022

Melanie has been so great so far at listening and responding to each concern and asking questions to keep me thinking and help either solve or cope with my issues

Reviewed August 2022

Exellent

Reviewed July 2022

She is awesome! She is a very great listener and gives very insightful and helpful tools and tips.

Reviewed June 2022

Melanie is an amazing therapist! I have noticed so much progress with her in such a short amount of time. She is always very positive and such a forward thinker. I have never had a therapist as good and productive as her!

Reviewed June 2022

Melanie is easy going and easy to talk to. She responds between sessions if needed

Reviewed April 2022

Provides thoughtful responses to my questions. Sincerely tries to help solving the problems I bring to the table.

Reviewed April 2022

She is amazing, caring and very timely. No judgement and feels like you are talking to a friend.

Reviewed February 2022

Melanie has been a wonderful help to me these past months. She has helped me identify issues, determine what I would like my future state to be, and focus on my path ahead.

Reviewed February 2022

Melanie has done a wonderful job keeping me on track. I sometimes lose track of what my goals are, and Melanie has been consistently keeping the end goals in sight.

Reviewed December 2021

Melanie offers me a safe place to work through difficult experiences in life. I feel listened and understood. She guides me into working on feeling better as well as recognizing my achievements in therapy, too.

Reviewed November 2021

Melanie goes above and beyond to share resources and be as helpful as she can be. I have benefited greatly from working with Melanie and can't thank her enough for her support and advice.

Reviewed November 2021

Melanie is excellent. She has provided me with many tools to combat my depression and anxiety. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a kind and compassionate therapist.

Reviewed September 2021

So far in our conversations Melanie has been punctual, attentive, articulate and helpful. She has been able to reframe certain instances that have already helped me to have a better understanding of not only why I react a certain way, but how to subtly change things to mend the situation. She is great and I recommend her to anyone.

Reviewed August 2021

Very good. Always listens & helps me with my problems.

Reviewed August 2021

My counselor Is is a very understanding person and very smart at what she does And I would recommend her to anybody that needs somebody to talk to

Reviewed June 2021

She makes me feel heard and understood which is huge. I appreciate it so much.

Reviewed June 2021

Melanie is a Fabulous therapist. She makes me feel very comfortable and at ease while talking to her. She helps me get self started talking about my issues and it encourages me to work out my feelings. She makes herself available and gives me relevant topics to explore on my own. I feel like due to her help I have progressed in my therapy immensely over a short period of time.

Reviewed May 2021

So are Melanie have been a very good listener and has offered me valuable tools to help me with anxiety, trauma, and over thinking. I appreciate her and would recommend her to anyone.

Reviewed April 2021

Melanie is personable, sweet, kind and caring. She is easy to be open with and feel comfortable sharing things with her. She provides excellent help & guidence!

Reviewed April 2021

My experience with Melanie has been thought provoking and engaging. She has helped me work through problems logically and with great interest and perception. I’ve appreciated my time with Melanie and would recommend her to anyone wanting to better themselves.

Reviewed April 2021

She's great! Friendly and very helpful.

Reviewed February 2021

How was your experience with Melanie?

Frequently asked questions

Does Melanie Bannish offer telehealth visits?

Yes. Melanie Bannish works with clients by exchanging messages, chatting live, speaking over the phone, or video conferencing based on what works for the client at that particular time.

What language(s) does Melanie Bannish speak?

Melanie Bannish speaks English.

How many years of experience does Melanie Bannish have?

Melanie Bannish has 24 years of experience.

Where is Melanie Bannish licensed to practice?

Melanie Bannish is licensed to practice in Missouri.

Does Melanie Bannish accept clients outside of the United States?

No, Melanie Bannish does not accept clients outside of the United States.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Numerous studies support the effectiveness of online platforms in facilitating life changes. For instance, research published by JMIR Publications, conducted by teams from the University of Berkeley, UCSF, and SF General Hospital, found that "users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform."

What treatment approaches does Melanie Bannish offer?

Melanie Bannish offers clients Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.

How can I communicate with Melanie Bannish?

Melanie Bannish can be engaged in any one of four ways: (1) Exchanging messages, (2) chatting live, (3) speaking over the phone, or (4) video conferencing. You can use different ways at different times as you wish, based on your needs, availability, and convenience.

How do I get started with Melanie Bannish?

Just tap the CHAT NOW button or tap here: A new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.

Mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.