Hello, I’m Melanie Klinke, BA, Couple and Family Graduate Intern
Counseling with Melanie
In a time when we are more digitally connected to each other than we have ever been, how can there still be so much disconnection, misunderstanding, and loneliness in the world?
It is especially painful when you experience disconnection, misunderstanding and loneliness in your most important personal and intimate relationships. Why do the people who are the closest to us sometimes feel like the most difficult to love?
As an Emotionally Focused Therapist (EFT), I know how painful it is to feel disconnected from the people you care about most. When your relationships are in distress, it’s hard to focus on anything else. Using EFT, we can work toward secure attachment, explore the role emotions play, and build interpersonal skills to increase understanding in your most important relationships.
Whether you are an individual looking for connection or a couple and family seeking reconnection, I would love to provide you with the space to strive towards meaningful and fulfilling relationships with better communication and more closeness.
Even though we are hard-wired to be connected with others, it doesn’t mean that it’s easy to be in relationships!
Words That Describe My Counseling Style
Who I Help and Types of Counseling
- Couples
- Families
- Children
- Preteens/Teens
- Adults
- Individuals
- BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and Persons of Color)
- Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Person-centered Therapy
- Play Therapy
Your Challenges Might Include:
- Struggles communicating how you feel and what you need
- Conflict that goes unresolved
- Rebuilding trust and healing from infidelity
- Challenges connecting sexually
- Feeling depressed, anxious, ambivalent or just plain stuck
- Parenting adolescents
- Getting caught in negative cycles with your children or teens
- LGBTQ+ challenges feeling accepted and seen by family members or community
- Experiences of racial marginalization
- Navigating life transitions
How Therapy Can Help You
A Guide for Growth
People often seek counseling with goals of growth and change. However, it may come as a surprise that some level of discomfort and vulnerability are needed to achieve these goals.
When you try something new in therapy, maybe even a little scary or uncomfortable, it’s good to have a guide to create a safe space for growth and change to occur. I’d be honored to be your guide as you dig deep, heal what needs healing, take risks with your loved ones and create the relationship you’ve been waiting for.
A Listener and Healer of Stories
To create a safe environment, I will help you each express, listen to and hear the different perspectives that might be present in session. I believe that even when there is only one viewpoint in the room, the families, institutions, societies, and other systems in which we have been raised impact the way that we encounter the world and connect with other people.
Healing happens when we feel seen and understood. If you think about it, our important stories are often told through moments of connection and bonds made with others.
However, we know that past hurts and distress can shape how these stories are experienced and told. I would be honored to journey alongside as you grow and repair from past experiences to tell your story from a new light.
How I’ve Helped Others in Their Journey
Prior to pursuing a career as a therapist, I worked with two populations who are well-accustomed to the emotional rollercoasters of life: teenagers and individuals experiencing homelessness.
After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in History and Education, I worked as a teacher with teens experiencing the highs and lows of adolescence and life.
Whether they were struggling with an identity crisis, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, or experiencing painful and scary thoughts of depression or suicide, I listened with curiosity and empathy to my students. It was my daily goal to provide a space where they could feel safe to better understand and navigate their emotions and times of need.
Working with people experiencing homelessness, I found there were similar themes to those I encountered while teaching: relationship distress, social anxiety, and loneliness to name a few. I appreciated the diverse and unique perspectives that each person brought, validated their experiences and supported them without judgment.
Some of my favorite things:
- Attempting to visit every US national park with my husband
- Deep hearty laughs with my family and friends
- Our cats, Hueco and Tanks, and other cute animals
- Being outside—running, rock climbing, and most outdoor things
- An epic Midwestern thunderstorm (watched from inside)
- Ice cream, no matter the season or weather
- Playing (and probably losing) board games
- Going to the movies
- Singing poorly and dancing slightly better
- A book so good, it can’t be put down
My favorite quote about love, hope, & universal human struggles
“To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients — care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication.” — Bell Hooks