Play is the language of children.
Hi, I’m Melissa McClain Hanold, MS, LCMHCA, NCC.
I’m a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and National Certified Counselor with a deep passion for helping young people heal, grow, and thrive. I specialize in working with children, teens, and their families who are navigating life’s many challenges from anxiety, depression, and behavioral concerns to family transitions, grief, and trauma. I strive to create a space where my clients feel safe, heard, and respected.
In my free time, you can find me puttering around my native garden, exploring local parks with my husband and two dogs, or reading in my library with my three cats. I love hunting for treasures- if there is a thrift store, vintage shop, antique mall, or estate sale- I’m there with an iced coffee and probably listening to a creepy podcast. I am passionate about supporting the arts and local businesses and am always looking for the next market, festival, show, or concert to check out!
My mother is a social worker, and my father is a psychologist, so entering the helping profession was written in my bones. I was drawn to counseling after my high school experienced a tragedy, and I witnessed firsthand the incredible impact the crisis counselors had in helping my community heal. Now, I feel truly honored to step into the counseling role and offer that same support to young people.
Animal-lover, treasure-collector, and elder emo.
THIS
OR
THAT
beach
mountains
new
thrifted
singing
dancing
broadway show
movie
Professional Bio
Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Charleston and her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Tennessee. She holds North Carolina licensure as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and is board-certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors. She also holds a certificate from the American Counseling Association in Counseling Interventions and Evidence-Based Treatments for Specific Issues with Children and Youth. She has worked in private practice, school-based, and community mental health settings with individuals and families across the lifespan. Between her undergraduate and graduate programs, she also worked as a registered behavior technician providing applied behavioral analysis services to children on the autism spectrum.
She specializes in working with children, teens, and their families. Her approach is rooted in humanism, which means she views her clients as whole and inherently capable. She believes that healing happens through authentic connection, emotional safety, and deep respect for the person’s inner world.
She prioritizes relationship-building, self-awareness, and supporting each child’s unique voice and agency. In her practice, she draws on play-based, creative, and developmentally appropriate techniques to meet kids and teens where they are. She also integrate elements of cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy when appropriate. She prioritizes collaboration with caregivers and stakeholders to ensure that the support and growth you achieve in counseling can continue at home and beyond.
