Therapy forWomen
Navigating identity, anxiety & the absent father wound
If we were sat in a room together, I’d probably start by asking you what’s brought you to counselling.
But I wonder if what you really want to hear first is this:
I imagine you're tired.
Not in a way that sleep can fix —
but emotionally and mentally tired.
Tired of always having to hold it together.
Tired of the pressure to be everything for everyone — juggling multiple roles whilst quietly wondering if anyone ever truly
sees you.
And maybe you're not even sure who you are anymore.
Because when you've spent your life taking care of everyone else, it becomes second nature.
It becomes part of your identity.
But somewhere along the way, you got lost in the roles — and now there’s this quiet ache inside:
“What about me?”
Hi there, I’m Melissa
I’m an accredited counsellor specialising in abandonment and grief — with a particular focus on the quieter, often unspoken pain of growing up with an absent father.
For five years, I worked as a bereavement counsellor at Southampton General Hospital, sitting alongside people in some of their most painful and tender moments. That experience taught me that grief doesn’t always look like tears and funerals — sometimes, it’s the ache of never feeling chosen. Sometimes it’s the invisible weight you carry from childhood, and the way it spills into your relationships, your identity, your self-worth.
In my private practice, I now support people who feel lost in their own lives.
People who are tired of overthinking, overgiving, and constantly second-guessing themselves.
People who long to feel enough — without having to earn it.
If you’ve ever wondered why you’re so sensitive, so anxious, so unsure of who you really are beneath the masks…
Together, we’ll gently untangle the patterns that no longer serve you — and begin the process of coming home to yourself.
How Therapy with Me Works
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Let’s have a quick, relaxed chat to see how it feels to speak together.
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No pressure to decide right away. Take some space and check in with yourself —
Did our chat feel comfortable? Did it feel like a good fit? -
Start with weekly or fortnightly sessions — whichever feels more manageable for you.
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We’ll talk about what matters to you — identity, grief, anxiety, father loss, people-pleasing — whatever feels most present.
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You decide how long you want to be in therapy — short-term support or longer-term exploration.
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We’ll talk it through, reflect on your progress, and close in a way that feels complete for you.
