Melanie Turner, LCSW

Hello, I’m Melanie.

A North Carolina based ecological therapist. In my experience as a clinical social worker, I have found that my favorite part is assisting others on their mental health journey in ways that feel empowering, connected, and offer a thread to safety. I have experience assisting individuals with complex trauma, neurocomplexity, + behavioral patterns

I am currently accepting new adolescent, young adult, and adult telehealth clients in North Carolina and Utah.

While I consider myself a Ecological Therapist, simply meaning I always do my best to use therapeutic modalities and techniques that meet people where they are at and I find myself gravitating towards Ecotherapy + Somatic Therapy practices throughout both my personal life and my work.

I believe in the power of nature and our bodies to inform our journey and assist us as we heal, learn, and grow in our lives and communities, as well as in the power of the human spirit, resilience, and courage. I am no stranger to the power that can be found in ourselves, in the natural world around us, and in our communities; and, what I love most about being a Mental Health Therapist is being able to share that with others every chance I get.

I am a client-centered, holistic, integrative, systemic, and mindfulness-based practitioner who utilizes self and community empowerment to inspire intersectional healing and alignment. I have extensive personal and professional experience related to depression and anxiety, ADHD, LGBTQQIAAP+, multicultural experiences, social activism + allyship, complex trauma and PTSD, grief, and loss, and domestic and interpersonal violence.

I received my Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in 2021 from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina with a cross-concentration between macro social work within communities and organizations and clinical social work, focusing on individuals and families. I utilize and practice empowering, empathetic communication with strengths-based and client-centered interviewing approaches - and I incorporate holistic, evidence-based therapeutic modalities such as mindfulness and mindful movement, psychodynamic therapy (CBT/DBT), interpersonal therapy, art and play therapy, relational therapy, expressive therapy, and integrative therapy into client treatment goals, plans, and sessions. I work alongside clients throughout the creation and implementation of personalized treatment plans that offer structured interventions and assist to create a greater sense of self-love and acceptance, helping to promote both immediate and long-term relief and change.

Through a fast introduction to harsh realities at a very young age, I discovered desires to not only ease the pain of those around me but also to confront any injustice or corruption that contributed to their, or my, pain and suffering. In my early youth I began to witness and understand how the mental health and criminal justice systems, alongside many others, fail numerous young, innocent victims -myself included- every single day by neglecting their responsibilities and obligations to provide protection, support, and safety when necessary. It was this negligence and failure on the part of the governmental, mental health, and social agencies in place to serve and protect the most helpless members of our society which have driven me over the past decade to dedicate my life to listening to, caring for, and protecting ALL people. 

Where individuals in need were previously neglected support, healing, and connection, I hope to find myself filling those gaps. Throughout my life following these events I have found myself personally driven by providing persistent understanding, patient empathy, and unwavering compassion to those around me in their times of need. I thrive and pride myself on being a dependable and organized peer, mentor, and companion.