MB 
Melanie Bannish
Experienced LCSW blending evidence-based care
LCSW Missouri
- Experience
- 25 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Anger, Self esteem, Depression
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English, Spanish
About Melanie
Melanie Bannish is a Missouri-based licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 25 years of experience helping people navigate major life challenges. She brings a broad clinical background that includes work with Spanish-speaking communities and experience supporting clients coping with trauma, domestic violence, and diverse life stressors.
Background and approach
Her practice blends evidence-based methods with attention to each person’s values and lived experience. Her style is warm, compassionate, and collaborative, leaning on therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside client-centered and mindfulness-informed approaches when appropriate.
Melanie has worked in community and clinical settings and integrates spiritual and holistic considerations into treatment when clients wish to include them. She offers sessions in English and Spanish and provides multiple remote formats to fit different needs and schedules.
Evidence-based approaches and remote care
Melanie commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thinking and develop practical strategies for managing mood, anxiety, and stress. She also draws on client-centered therapy, which emphasizes empathy, active listening, and building a collaborative relationship so clients feel heard and guided rather than judged. When appropriate, dialectical behavior therapy techniques are included to teach emotion regulation and interpersonal skills that support coping in high-stress situations.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process; the therapist will work with each client to assess needs, goals, and personal preferences and then adapt methods accordingly. That flexibility allows therapy to be tailored over time so interventions align with what is most useful and acceptable for the individual.
Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility and accessibility. These options make it easier to fit care into busy schedules, maintain continuity when travel or work conflicts arise, and access therapy from wherever the client is located within accepted regions. Licensed professionals provide the therapeutic support and collaborate with clients to choose the format that best supports their progress.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns can be addressed in sessions?
She works with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, stress, self-esteem, addictions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and many others listed in her specialties.
What therapeutic approaches does she use?
The practice draws from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), EMDR, existential therapy, and mindfulness-based techniques to tailor care to each person.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 25 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker, including community work with Spanish-speaking populations and trauma-informed roles.
Where is the therapist licensed and what are the credentials?
She is an LCSW licensed in Missouri with license number MO LCSW 002633.
Can sessions be offered in languages other than English?
Sessions are available in both English and Spanish for clients who prefer either language.
What formats are available for sessions?
Clients can meet by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what fits their schedule and needs.
How are costs and scheduling handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingImmigration issuesImpulsivityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
25+ years
Licensed
Missouri
Languages
English, Spanish