Close-up portrait of Melissa with short black hair and glasses, wearing a maroon and white patterned sweater and orange earrings, smiling outdoors with a blurred background of trees and wooden structures.

Hola! I am Dr. Melissa Carmona(She/Ella)

There are many parts of me that make me, me. Besides being a bilingual clinical mental health counselor, I am a parent, a partner, a student, and an educator. I love humor, Colombian food, learning about cultures, and engaging in vulnerable and existential conversations.

Of Colombian roots, I immigrated to the United States in my teens. My interest in mental health comes from my personal experience with trauma, acculturation stress, disordered eating, and identity development. Growing up in an environment where stigma and misinformation related to mental illness, identities, and health were salient, I ventured into the counseling and psychology world in the hope of unlearning, connecting, and holding space with others…. and here I am!

I believe in radical healing, that therapy is not neutral or apolitical, and that not all behaviors need to be pathologized.

Melissa with glasses, short dark hair, and tattoos on her arm sits on a hardwood floor, holding a picture of a bird close to her face, smiling with her eyes closed, near a window with a green armchair in the background.

  • Associate’s of Arts: Catawba Valley Community College

    Bachelor’s of Science: The University of North Carolina in Greensboro

    Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: The University of North Carolina in Greensboro

    Ph.D in Counseling and Counselor Education: The University of North Carolina in Greensboro

  • I have been providing counseling and consulting services in North Carolina since 2017. My clinical experience includes working with individuals, couples, and families in outpatient settings such as community mental health and private practice. I specialize in supporting clients experiencing trauma, depression, anxiety, identity concerns (including gender, sexual, and cultural identity), and disordered eating and body image issues. As a trained death doula, I support individuals navigating grief, fear around death and dying, and volunteer at my local hospice offering companionship. I also have experience working with individuals navigating chronic suicidality and the shame that often accompanies conversations around death. Additionally, I have worked extensively with immigrant populations and provide consultations to local attorneys. 

    • North Carolina Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor #13124

    • Virginia Licensed Professional Counselor #070101482

    • Counseling Telehealth Provider for Florida (TPMC863) and South Carolina (TL1911)

    • North Carolina Clinical Mental Health Counselor Qualified Supervisor # QS150098

    • National Certified Counselor (# 901790).

    • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), Brainspotting, and Intuitive Eating trained.

    • Health at Every size and Intersectional Framework

Melissa wearing glasses sitting on a dark green sofa in a living room, holding a yellow mug, with plants and artwork on the wall behind her.

Why Cafecito Counseling?

“Quieren un Cafecito?”- my mom would ask whenever we had visitors, after a meal, or just to warm up. That’s how I knew people were about to gather and start talking.

For many cultures, food is representative of abundance, hospitality, comfort, traditions, emotions, and healing. Growing up in the coffee region of Colombia, connecting with friends and family over a warm drink such as coffee was a familiar scene for me.

Pull up that seat and that cafecito (or other non-caffeinated beverage-haha), and let’s chat!