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Ready To Transform Your Relationship?
- Do you ever feel stuck in a relationship?
- Are you scared of commitment?
Expressive Arts Therapy for Adults (CA)
Stuck in worry, self-criticism, or burnout?
You don’t have to do it alone.
Opening up can feel uncomfortable—and it can also be the start of relief. In our work, we use image, movement, sound, and words to step out of overthinking and into felt experience. From there, change becomes possible.
I’d like to help you see beyond this difficult moment. I’d love to help you enjoy your life more.
You can get unstuck and connect to creativity
Practice noticing, pausing, and choosing new responses under stress.
Clarify values and priorities so your actions line up with what matters.
Use science-backed strategies—DBT, ACT, self-compassion—alongside the arts to shift relationships, work, and creative life.
“Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own.
No one belongs here more than you.”
-Brené Brown
About Melissa Craven, LMFT, PMH-C
I’m a licensed psychotherapist and expressive arts therapist working with adults across California. Over the past 15 years I’ve helped people calm anxiety, recover a sense of agency, and re-engage creatively with life. I’m certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C). I also developed expressive-arts-informed curricula used in UCSF’s PHP/IOP programs and have presented at UCSF Grand Rounds and international conferences.
Are you hindered by self-doubt, comparison, or social anxiety?
Anxiety and Depression
If worry or heaviness has become your default, therapy should feel grounding—not overwhelming. I use expressive-arts processes and concrete tools to help you sleep better, think clearer, and feel more like yourself.
Recovery after Psychosis
Coming home after a psychosis episode can feel disorienting. I offer structured, online expressive-arts therapy for adults in California to help you steady your nervous system, restore routine, and rebuild confidence—at a safe, sustainable pace.
Relationship Issues
Use role-play and brief expressive-arts tools to steady your voice, set healthy limits, and feel closer to the people who matter.
Perinatal, Parenting
As a parent or parent-to-be, you are more vulnerable to overwhelming emotions and self-criticism. In this time of adjustment, there is so much possibility. Let’s tap into your strengths.
How I can help you feel inspired
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One-on-One Online Therapy
When we’re really struggling, our loved ones can’t always provide the support we need. You’re courageously considering making a change. Let’s collaborate to regain your flow. The cost for individual, 50-minute sessions is $200
Walk and Talk
Are you someone who thinks on your feet or feels more comfortable sharing while moving? You may benefit from walk and talk therapy sessions. The cost for individual, 50-minute, walk-and-talk therapy is $240.
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Expressive Arts Group Therapy
Do you feel stuck in your struggles with anxiety or depression? Experience the power and inspiration of the group while applying arts practices to calm, gain perspective, and re-engage with your life. The fee for this 2-hour, weekly group therapy is $150 ($75/hour).
Many of my clients receive substantial reimbursement for therapy through their out-of-network PPO benefits. I’m happy to help you understand your coverage before we begin, and I can provide a monthly superbill for you to submit to your insurance company. Payment is accepted through Venmo or Zelle.
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Consultations about a Specific Topic/Project
Are you hoping to reach clients in a different mode? Tune up your practice by learning my arts-based approach to Dialectical Behavior Therapy. I have 15 years of experience working as an expressive arts therapy consultant for psychiatrists and therapists and I created and organized the curriculum for the PHP/IOP at UCSF. I have presented at multiple conferences as well as UCSF grand rounds. The cost for consultation/presentations is $200/hour of work.
Projects
I love consulting with other care providers to help enliven the practice of therapy!
Polyvagal Theory, Parts, and Pathways to Connection
International Expressive Arts Therapy Association 16th Conference
Aligning with Wise Mind: A Self-Care Journey for Therapists Using Arts-Based Dialectical Behavior Therapy
International Expressive Arts Therapy Association 15th Conference
Repeated this presentation at the Western Sydney Local Health District in Australia
Repeated this presentation at the Expressive Therapies Summit
Some of my clients and colleagues have said:
Rated 5 out of 5
Melissa is a very talented therapist. I am always impressed at how well she actively listens and is able to respond back to
me in meaningful, thoughtful ways. I greatly appreciate that she remembers all the little details of things I shared months
ago. Moreover, she shares relevant and useful resources freely. She's helped me so much since I've been working with
her. I super extra love when we do creative mental activities and her approach using internal family systems therapy has been a
life changer. She's so skilled and I'm very thankful that I get to work with her.
Long-Term Client
Rated 5 out of 5
"Melissa has a wonderful way of facilitating groups. She's able to hold the group in a way that one feels emotionally safe, heard, and not judged but also keeps room for play and laughter. Melissa holds the rare ability to hold the hard stuff and invite playfulness too. I've experienced her facilitating style in a workshop setting. She is able to expertly guide her participants through expressive arts experiences that are not only fun but insightful. I can't recommend Melissa highly enough."
Group Participant
Rated 5 out of 5
"I am a psychiatrist and clinical director who has known Melissa and her work closely for more than a decade. Melissa does excellent work and I trust her and recommend her without hesitation as a skilled and devoted therapist. She will support and be there for you throughout your journey in therapy."
Psychiatrist Colleague
Find contentment again
Are you ready to take charge of your relationships & happiness?
You can also reach me at melissalcraven@proton.me or by texting or leaving a voicemail at 415 940 3881.