Melissa Hanon, M.A.

Therapist

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My name is Melissa, and my practice is based on knowing that everyone has an innate longing to belong and feel understood, and it is my purpose to help my clients feel seen, acknowledged, and validated in their struggles, challenges, anxieties, traumas, and even in their everyday life burdens and overwhelming emotions and relationships. 

Throughout my studies and difficult personal experiences, I set out to find the truth about what the human being is made for. Dealing with my own struggles both in mental health as well as my faith I found myself yearning for something more. I found that human beings are called by God to a higher and deeper purpose than I could realize. It is being made for love and through love that a true sense of fulfillment can be achieved. The journey toward becoming the person God has designed each and every one of us to be can be confusing, frustrating, and sometimes painful. It has been my honor to help people by working as a counselor with teenagers and young adults to navigate these challenging paths. 

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I believe that guiding individuals to recognize that their immense value stems from who they are and rather than what they do is vital in order to heal, cope, and renew. By providing a safe environment filled with understanding and encouragement, clients can overcome adversity by getting insight into their own mental processes and developing the tools necessary to lead fuller lives. Using personalized, practical techniques clients can expect to aspire to achieve attainable goals for a more purposeful and joyful way of living. 

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I was born and raised in Managua, Nicaragua. I moved abroad to the United States to obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology and Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Later on I pursued my Master’s degree in General Psychology from Purdue University Global.