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Melissa Woods, LPC-S, LPA

Assistant Director

Smiling person with long blonde hair in warmly lit room, suggesting a welcoming and professional environment
Melissa Woods, Assistant Director at GearingUP
Melissa Woods, Assistant Director at GearingUP

Meet Melissa

In addition to being one of the Assistant Directors at GearingUP, Melissa Woods is a veteran of the counseling field and one of the most gifted therapists in Texas. With over fifteen years at GearingUP, she is not only an extraordinarily accomplished counselor, but she is a leader among fellow clinicians, clinic operations, and in the community at large. She has a reputation for incisive and innovative work that goes right to the heart of the matter.  With over 25 years of experience, she is able to decipher and understand complex clinical data and make effective, creative recommendations on clinical matters at GearingUP. Along with Dr. Gearing, she oversees clinical training at GearingUP to uphold the highest standards of clinical care in Texas.

Melissa Woods, Assistant Director at GearingUP

Melissa's Experience

Prior to joining GearingUP, Melissa worked at the Dallas County Juvenile Department as a Psychology Assistant on the Psychological Evaluation Team. In this capacity, she worked with acclaimed senior psychologists from UT Southwestern Medical School in evaluating hundreds of children and teens. She became an expert in adolescent psychological evaluation, interviewing, and clinical treatment.

Fluent in Spanish and equipped with twenty-five years of clinical experience, Melissa possesses a keen understanding of a variety of psychological disorders, treatments, and therapies. As a forensic evaluator, she has evaluated hundreds of adolescents, adults, and their families for court. In addition, Melissa has spearheaded Family Training Programs, Anger Management Programs for individuals and families, and has conducted therapy and assessments in both English and Spanish for many years.

Melissa Woods, Assistant Director at GearingUP
Melissa Woods, Assistant Director at GearingUP

Melissa's Work at GearingUP

In addition, Melissa is an experienced clinician in the treatment of traumatic stress in children and adolescents. She has studied the ARC system (Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competence) and uses this cutting-edge system in the evaluation and treatment of children and teens at GearingUP. Melissa has also completed 55 hours of advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She has completed Dr Marsha Linehan’s, the creator of DBT, Foundational Training in which she studied such topics as the Scientific Foundation and Evidence for DBT, Acceptance Principles and dialectical foundations of DBT, how DBT individual sessions and DBT skills training sessions are conducted and much more.

Melissa Woods, Assistant Director at GearingUP
Melissa Woods, Assistant Director at GearingUP

Melissa's Experience & Training

  • Individual Therapy with Adolescents
  • Individual Therapy with Men and Women
  • Family Therapy
  • Group Therapy
  • Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents
  • Complex Trauma
  • Mood Disorders
  • Depression and Anxiety
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI—both assessment and treatment)
  • Eating Disorders (both assessment and treatment)

Specialized Training

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – completed over 60 hours of advanced DBT training.
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • MBCT – Certified for Adults and Children
  • Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia
  • ARC Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents
  • Trauma Conference: The Body Keeps the Score with Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk
  • Disordered Eating: Somatic, Self-compassion, and Mindfulness Interventions for lasting Recovery (in training)
  • Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Bingeing and Body Image: What every Clinician Needs to Know (in training)
  • Neuroscience and Yoga in the Treatment of Complex, Developmental or Repeated Trauma
  • Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy
  • Complex Trauma Certification – Melissa has completed her training and certification in Complex trauma and is studied the work of internationally renowned psychologist and author, Janina Fisher, Ph.D. Dr. Fisher was one of the first psychologists in the country who began studying and treating trauma and is a former instructor at Harvard Medical School. Upon completion of this prestigious program, Melissa became a Certified Complex Trauma Treatment Level Two Professional and an expert in the treatment of Complex Trauma.

Psychological Assessments

  • Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Educational Testing
  • Psychological Testing
  • Projective Testing
  • Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessments (NSSI)
  • Eating Disorder Assessments

Therapies Melissa Utilizes In Session

  • A woman with long blonde hair sits on a couch, smiling while talking on her phone in a warmly lit room with plants

    Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

    The skills-based system and emotional regulation strategies in DBT were found to be almost universally helpful to clients looking to regain control of their thoughts and emotions. Much like CBT, researchers have shown that DBT is also effective for virtually any type of client – ages 7-60+, all genders and sexual orientations, all races and ethnicities, and more.

    GearingUP DBT
  • A person in a field blowing on dandelions under soft sunlight, wearing a white tank top and a necklace

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    CBT has been proven to be effective for many of the most common mental health issues, and the results have been easily replicated with different clients and different therapists time and time again. The combination of clear structure, easy implementation, and effective skills usage outside of the therapy office has made CBT the first choice of many therapists for decades.

    GearingUP CBT
  • Person with curly hair wearing a gray tank top sits calmly in a kitchen setting, eyes closed and lips pursed

    Mindfulness Based Therapies

    A regular practice of mindfulness meditation every day could lead to significant benefits for practitioners in terms of mental clarity and focus, stress reduction, emotional calm, and much more. Researchers even found physical benefits like lower blood pressure, increased body awareness, decreased pain, increased immunity, and decreased chance of heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

    GearingUP Mindfulness

Melissa's Accomplishments

  • Baylor University, B.A. in Psychology, with a Minor in Spanish
  • The University of North Texas, Master of Arts in Counseling
  • Licensed Member of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Psychology as a Licensed Psychological Associate (Independent Licensure)
  • Licensed Member of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors
  • Licensed Member of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors as an LPC Supervisor
  • Dallas County Juvenile Department Employee of the Year–Psychological Services, 1999
  • Dallas County Juvenile Department Employee of the Month, February 1999.
  • Dallas County Juvenile Department–Psychology Division, Staff, 1997 to March 2007
  • Early Childhood Intervention Therapy Group for Children (ages 3-12)
  • Conducts Therapy and Assessments in Spanish
  • Managed High Volume Referrals for Psychological Intervention in Psychological Department at the Dallas County Juvenile Department
  • Clinical Supervisor for Interns Completing the Master’s degree at the University of North Texas and Southern Methodist University
  • Clinical Supervisor of L.P.C. Interns

In-Person and Online Sessions

Sessions are available in person at the offices below and online by secure video from home, and you can switch between the two whenever it suits you.

Melissa Woods Reviews

Read all 30 reviews

Melissa has been wonderful to work with. They have a great understanding of autism and handle anger and emotional challenges with patience and skill. They create a safe, supportive environment and truly care about their clients’ progress. Highly recommend.

I have been a client of Melissa Woods here for over 3 years now. Throughout every crisis and dull moment she has been there to reliable guide me through the process of life appreciating it, as well as improving it. This has been done through a relationship that always has my best interest in mind, which is truly all I could ask for from such a service. I am always listened to, challenged, or able to share a laugh depending on the situation.

Incredible counseling with kindhearted therapists. I have been on and off with Melissa for over 10 years and absolutely love her down to earth personality. Both of the Gearing's are sweet people who seem to truly care about my wellbeing and finding the best fit for me. They all have been such blessings for me and my family throughout the years so I would definitely recommend giving them a try and seeing their services in action!

Melissa has been great with my daughter. We have seen her make great strides and benefit greatly from the time spent with Melissa.

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