About
Melissa Chana, MA, LPCC, PHC
Trauma-Informed Counselor & Coach, and Author
Hey there, I’m Melissa - a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC) based in Colorado, a trauma-informed coach, and author of Healing Through the Pain, How I recovered from Interstitial Cystisis.
I hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, a Bachelor’s in Life Coaching Psychology, Certification in Primal Health Coaching and training in EMDR, Brainspotting, EFT Tapping, Somatic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I specialize in helping high-functioning adults heal what traditional talk therapy often can’t reach, by getting to the root of emotional pain and unconscious beliefs.
This Isn’t Talk Therapy, It’s Structured Healing
What I Offer
I’m not a “just talk about it forever” therapist.
I don’t offer open-ended, endless sessions where we simply vent or revisit the past without direction. In my experience, this doesn’t lead to true healing. Instead, I guide you through a focused, trauma-informed process that integrates mind, body, and belief.
Here’s what you can expect in our work together:
Modalities I Use:
Parts Work (inspired by Internal Family Systems)
EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for trauma resolution
CBT Therapy for thought-emotion-behavior patterns
DBT Therapy for emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Psychoanalytic Talk Therapy for deeper insight (used intentionally: not endlessly)
Integrative Tools I Include:
Bilateral Stimulation (based on EMDR principles)
EFT Tapping for emotional release and nervous system resets
Somatic Regulation Tools to calm the body and reconnect with safety
Trauma-Informed Breathwork to support integration and release
Belief Rewiring to shift core identity patterns rooted in early experiences
Every session is structured to create forward movement. Mentally, emotionally, and biologically.
A Personal Note
My work is deeply informed by lived experience. I’m a survivor of complex childhood trauma marked by early loss, emotional neglect, and instability. These experiences deeply impacted my nervous system, even before I fully understood their effects. By age 24, my body began to reflect the stress I had carried for years. I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a painful and life-altering condition doctors said had no cure. Not long after, I began experiencing symptoms of complex PTSD.
But I refused to believe that chronic pain and emotional suffering were my final story.
I immersed myself in psychology education, trauma healing, counseling, nervous system repair, and mind-body science. I also used ozone therapy and other integrative methods involving diet to help my body detox, regulate, and regenerate. Over time, I made a full recovery.
That journey led me to write Healing Through the Pain, and more importantly, to support clients who are navigating the effects of childhood trauma and mental health challenges. My work is for those who are ready to move beyond just coping or talking, and begin the deeper work of rewiring patterns from the inside out.
I know what it’s like to be in survival mode, and what it takes to shift out of it. I now use everything I’ve learned to walk alongside others on their path toward real transformation.
Focused and Present for you - Your story Matters.
Who I Help
I specialize in working with adults who are “functioning” on the outside, but disconnected or overwhelmed on the inside. You may relate if you:
Struggle with people-pleasing, perfectionism, overachievement, or constant inner pressure
Feel emotionally reactive, anxious, numb, or depressed, even when “nothing is wrong”
Have been in therapy before, but still feel stuck, disconnected, or confused
Know their past is affecting their present, but don’t know how to stop repeating the cycle
Experience chronic overwhelm, burnout, or emotional flatness
Live with depression that doesn’t seem to shift: despite trying medication, talk therapy, or mindset work
Carry shame, self-doubt, or a deep belief that they’re not good enough
Are high-functioning autistic or neurodivergent and want support that honors their unique emotional, sensory, and processing needs
Sense your not living as their true self and want to reconnect with who they really are
Have trauma, chronic pain illness, or nervous system symptoms that haven’t responded to traditional approaches
Are ready for more than coping: you want tools that create real emotional, mental, and physiological change
How You Can Work With Me
🟣 Colorado Clients:
You have the choice between traditional licensed counseling, my 12-week coaching program or 2 hour intensives. Both are trauma-informed and whole-person focused. We will discuss both at your free discovery call.
🟡 Clients Outside Colorado:
You can access the full 12 week personalized coaching program online. These sessions are not therapy, but structured deep work with me, designed to rewire the body, beliefs, and nervous system from the ground up. You can also book my half day online intensives. Book a discovery call with me now.