Dr. Melody Madaris
Practical, goal-focused counseling for complex concerns
LCPC Illinois
- Experience
- 14 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Addictions, Trauma and abuse, Bipolar
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Melody
Dr. Melody Madaris is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with 14 years of experience.
Background and approach
She offers direct, practical care for people managing trauma, addiction, mood disorders, and major life transitions. She focuses on helping people identify the specific parts of their lives that need to change.
Sessions are aimed at making small, sustainable steps toward better daily functioning. The work is straightforward and collaborative, with the therapist and client setting clear goals together.
In addition to clinical practice, she oversees programs in Illinois that address co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions. Her background includes managing a residential treatment facility, outpatient co-occurring programs, a 24-hour mobile crisis team, an employee assistance program, and prevention and awareness initiatives.
Her approach combines practical therapies such as cognitive behavioral tools and acceptance strategies with strengths-based, client-centered listening. She also uses techniques drawn from dialectical behavior work and trauma-focused methods when they fit the client’s needs.
People who come to her typically want direction and hands-on strategies for coping with depression, bipolar disorder, substance use, grief, anger, ADHD-related challenges, or eating and body-image concerns. She also addresses specialized areas such as first responder issues, veteran concerns, and sexual culture topics as they relate to individual care.
Approaches and online care that fit your needs
Dr. Madaris uses the Gottman Method alongside Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Client-Centered principles to guide online work. The Gottman Method focuses on improving communication patterns and reducing conflict, which can help people aiming to repair important relationships and build practical interaction skills. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify values and commit to small actions that move them toward a meaningful life while learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person’s experience, using empathetic listening to help people feel heard and to discover their own solutions.Choosing the right approach is part of the process. She will work with each person to figure out which methods fit best based on goals and preferences. Treatment plans are collaborative and can change as progress is made or needs shift.
Online therapy offers practical benefits like flexibility and easier scheduling. Video calls let sessions feel more like in-person meetings and are good for deeper work. Phone sessions can be used when less bandwidth is available or a quicker check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, skill practice, or when writing out thoughts helps. These options make it easier to keep continuity of care across different routines and time zones.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Licensed in
Illinois
Languages
English