Melanie Schockett, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist AZ Lic. #1118 Most people are anxious when they first arrive at a psychologist's office. The decision to seek therapy and share your problems with a professional is difficult. Therefore, I am pleased that you are consulting different websites in order to find the best fit for you. You will most likely need at least one session with the therapist in order to know whether you can feel some level of confidence in and connection with that professional. My goal during the first session is to put you at ease and to begin to establish a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. I suspect that you have many questions about therapy and psychologists, and I am hopeful that the following information will shed some insight into what you can expect. As far as my education is concerned, I received my Doctoral Degree in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University in 1984. I earned my Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Texas Tech University in 1976 and my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Ohio Wesleyan in 1974. Prior to entering the Ph.D. program, I worked at various mental health centers in Texas and Illinois. My job duties varied from working with adolescents on a residential unit, to testing for competency in jails, to meeting with adults for individual and couple counseling. Shortly after receiving my doctorate, I was employed as a staff psychologist for an alcohol and drug addiction inpatient unit. I have been in private practice since 1985. I meet with adolescents, adults, and seniors for individual, family, and couple/marital counseling. The adolescents I meet with are sometimes depressed, sometimes anxious, have behavioral problems, eating disorders, relationship concerns, attitude issues, or school problems. Generally it is not their idea to enter counseling, but, for the most part, they are very agreeable to setting additional appointments. I usually prefer to meet with a parent previous to seeing their teenager. I like to include parents in the sessions as soon as their adolescent is comfortable doing so. My areas of expertise for adults and seniors are rather varied. The following list represents some of my areas of interest. - Depression and Mood Swings - Anxiety and Stress - Grief and Loss - Recovery from Addictions - Relationship and Intimacy Issues - Self Esteem - Trauma - Parenting Issues  - Codependency - Bulimia - Life Transitions - Incest and Abuse Survivors  - Infertility Issues - Women's Issues (PMS, menopause, career/family balance) - Divorce Adjustment - Intimacy Issues in Midlife My therapeutic approach is rather eclectic and depends in large part on what concerns you bring to therapy. I employ everything from brief, goal-oriented, cognitive behavioral approaches to more psychodynamic, Adlerian approaches. I view our sessions as a collaborative effort, and I tend to not only inform my clients of the processes used but to encourage them to read and become more knowledgeable about the various approaches. We may stay fully in the present or we may decide to look at the origins of present day problems in childhood. At times, I instruct my clients to find clues and solutions to their problems in their dreams. At times our sessions will be intense and serious, but at times we will employ humor and it is not unusual to hear laughter in the hallways. I am a Certified Bereavement Counselor and have been trained to provide an innovative approach for trauma, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). Thank you for visiting our website. If you have any additional questions for me or would like to make an appointment, please feel free to call (480) 922-5440.