Melissa Stanger, Melissa Stanger, LCSW

(She/her/hers)

Online Therapy

About Me

I regularly integrate EMDR into psychoanalytic talk therapy to help my clients work through persistent stuck points that may stem from earlier traumatic or stressful experiences. Our work will be a collaborative effort to understand you — why you think, feel, believe, and behave the way you do — and to help you grow personally, professionally, and relationally. I believe that the mental health symptoms we experience are a manifestation of unresolved conflicts from our past. I specialize in treating eating disorders, as well as gender/sexuality/relationship issues (including non-traditional relationship structures); trauma and PTSD; anxiety and depression; and family/interpersonal conflicts. I consider my approach warm yet challenging, and I work with clients to co-facilitate growth and insight. I am licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. I approach therapy from a standpoint of non-judgmental curiosity and an antiracist, anti-oppressive lens.

Education & Experience

Education:
- Masters Degree in Social Work, CUNY Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work (2019)
- Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts (Psychology, Creative Writing), Sarah Lawrence College (2010)

Postgraduate Training:
- Psychoanalysis, Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity (2024-2028)
- Focal Psychodynamic Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FPT-AN), Exhale Psychology Centre (2026)
- Somatic- and Attachment-Focused EMDR, Personal Transformation Institute, parts I & II (2025)
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Training Institute for Mental Health (2019-2021)

Additional Field Work:
- 9/11 Survivors Clinic Mental Health Social Worker, Bellevue Hospital (2023-2024)
- Inpatient Medical Social Worker, Bellevue Hospital (2021-2023)
- Geriatric Social Worker and Case Manager, Vista on 5th Assisted Living Facility (2020-2021)
- Helpline Operator, National Eating Disorders Association (2018-2019)

Professional & Volunteer Affiliations

- Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity (IPSS)
- Women’s Mental Health Consortium
- Manhattan Alternative Community
- National Eating Disorders Association (volunteer)

Specialty Area

  • Abuse/Neglect
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety/Panic Attacks
  • Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • Family Issues
  • Gender Identity
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Race, Culture, Ethnicity Issues
  • Stress Management
  • Survivor's Guilt
  • Traumatic Incident

Population Served

  • Adolescents (13-17)
  • Adults
  • First Responders
  • Immigrants
  • LGBTQ+
  • Seniors

Language

  • English

Insurance

  • Does Not Accept Insurance
  • Sliding Scale