My goal is to help every client be the truest, healthiest version of themselves. Career challenges, stage of life transitions, relational conflict, and social circumstances can all be sources of stress and produce feelings of inadequacy and isolation. Addressing these challenges not only increases self-awareness; it bolsters self-esteem, fuels empathy and increases our capacity for healthy interpersonal connection. Ultimately, these are the elements that allow us to weather the challenges life sends our way and to thrive in both personal and professional settings.

Do you look in the mirror and not like the person you see looking back at you? Do you struggle with depression and anxiety? Do you often experience feelings of despair, sadness, hopelessness, low motivation, and little self-worth?
I specialize in the treatment of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, anger management, trauma, substance abuse, as well as others. I utilize various treatment methods to empower my clients to improve their lives and start living instead of just existing.
If you are suffering from mental health or substance abuse issues, let me help.

Malissa Truesdale-Crawford MA, LCMHCA
Malissa is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate. She is licensed in both South Carolina and North Carolina.

Malissa is most passionate about people and her motto for clients is let’s work together to become your overall “best/better” SELF!! Malissa has worked tirelessly to help children of all ages and adults feel good about themselves no matter what the past, present may look like. We work together to make “you, the client” feel whole and worthy! Malissa’s previous work stems from children and adults thus the family unit (Couples) is an area that comes naturally for her.

As we process your life path, we will use my skills in Narrative Therapy (values/importance you tell yourself), Solution Focus (where you’re heading/future self), Motivational Interviewing (why do you do what you do) and CBT (ways to change what you do). Malissa is also trained in Couples Prepare/Enrich and Brain-spotting.

Hi, thanks for reading my Bio! I've been a psychologist now for 30 years. Over that time, I've helped more than 10,000 people. This is my 3rd career - I started as a Domino's Pizza manager, then a computer programmer for IBM. I became a psychologist after seeing my own psychologist during a difficult divorce. I learned so much from that experience that I knew it was right for me - so I went back to school. I've also completed 90% of a post doctoral certificate in neuropsychology.

I find that most people I work with are interested in one of two kinds of therapy. First, some people are interested in problem solving / solution focused therapy - finding solutions to life's many problems. I use brain science and the design of human beings to develop creative shortcuts to these problems. I've created my own names for them, such as the 'what else' technique, or reverse psychologizing yourself, or the 3 P's of grieving, or the 'outside the box' technique.

Other people want to understand themselves at a deep level. Perhaps they find themselves making the same mistakes in life. Or they wonder 'how did I get here?' The want to understand their personality structure and to make deep, long lasting changes - to become, not necessarily happier, but more successful and satisfied with life. During this process, I describe what I consider to be 'the ultimate in mental health.'

And now you know ... The rest of the story!

My formal education focused on psychology and clinical social work. My professional experiences have been in public schools, hospitals and outpatient clinics, the Military, international nonprofits, universities and various community settings. I currently have a private practice with offices in Napa, in addition to my virtual office, where I provide "teletherapy" to clients in both California and Texas.
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My therapy training began in public schools with special education, K-12. I counseled children with mental health concerns and led life skills groups. I worked intensively with adolescents (and their caregivers) in alternative school programs burdened by emotional concerns.
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I spent most of the next decade working in hospitals, both pediatric and adult, assessing and responding to a variety of issues including devastating diagnoses, chronic health conditions, end of life issues, infertility and pregnancy loss, postpartum depression, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and mental health crises. During this time, I taught and supervised students for the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of Social Work. After ten years, I shifted out of the hospital setting to therapist lead of an integrated behavioral healthcare network where I helped build a program for providing mental health and case management to a pediatric and family medical practice serving 30,000 low income families.
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An opportunity led me to England for two years, where I managed a prevention and education campaign related to new parent support and family violence prevention. I educated US Air Force members and families on topics such as stress and anger management, PTSD, resilience, healthy dating, couple's communication and parenting, while co-facilitating support groups on chronic medical conditions. During this time, I also worked with Airmen and families on managing stress before and after deployments and transitioning to civilian life after a military career.
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After a brief return to the U.S. to study Spanish at the Defense Language Institute of Monterey, I moved to South America and worked for the U.S. Embassy while volunteering with a Chilean nonprofit. During this time, I researched advances in counseling and coaching methodology. Although I have a working knowledge of Spanish, I do not provide services in Spanish at this time.
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In 2014, I relocated to Napa, pregnant again after experiencing pregnancy loss. After treating parents for postpartum depression and anxiety, I experienced it first-hand and became aware of a need for expanded maternal mental health support in my community. So I added services to my private practice that would address infertility, pregnancy and postpartum mental health support, Moxie Motherhood, and co-founded a pregnant and postpartum peer support program.
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For almost two decades, I have honed my clinical expertise from problem-focused to possibility-focused. I remain current on research and active in the professional dialogue of wellness, balancing my time between counseling, coaching, teaching, volunteering and parenting. Read more here.
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I welcome the opportunity to support you.

Life can get overwhelming sometimes, and everyone has an opinion on how you should manage it. No matter what you’re dealing with, someone always suggests a quick fix— anxiety: “just calm down;” depression: “just be happy;” or disordered eating: “just eat.” The reality is, if it were that simple, we would all be perfect people and never struggle with anything in our entire lives. That’s just not human nature. So if that’s not the answer, how do we grow and change? How do we resolve the deepest, most wounded parts of ourselves?

There’s a quote by Christine Langley-Obaugh that I love, which says, “We repeat what we don’t repair.” We have to sit with those uncomfortable parts of ourselves—our anxiety, depression, disordered eating, grief—and figure out when and why it showed up. What is it trying to tell us about ourselves and our experience?

That’s what the therapeutic space is for. We put other pieces of our lives on hold for an hour, to sit and listen and process. From there, we can establish a different way for the brain and body to communicate with one another; a way that allows for expression without overwhelm. It’s a process that can take some time, but it is oh so worth it.

When life becomes overwhelming or filled with uncertainty, we all deserve a space to talk with someone who will not judge or shame us but who will walk alongside us as we figure it out. I believe that healing happens in connection, and we aren’t designed to figure it all out alone.

I value creating a safe and non-judgemental environment so my clients so they feel safe and comfortable when sharing their stories. I work primarily with trauma-related concerns, anxiety/ panic disorders, and depression.

Reaching out for support is an act of courage, and I admire the bravery it takes to consider counseling. My hope for you is that through the therapeutic process, you can be equipped with the tools to engage in a life that feels not only manageable but also more meaningful and fulfilling.

Maya is a licensed master social worker, emerging researcher, and doctoral candidate at Tulane University. She identifies as South Asian and is multilingual. Maya is interested in research and scholarship in epilepsy health disparities and compassion-focused interventions for individuals experiencing psychological distress.

As an integrative psychotherapist, she combines a variety of psychodynamic and mind-body modalities. She works with emerging adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, and difficulties adjusting to life stressors.

Maya's psychotherapy core beliefs are twofold. First, compassion and respect are the basis of positive therapy experiences. Second, the personal connection and safeness established in the therapeutic relationship are catalysts for lasting change.

She is well versed in compassion-focused therapy (CFT), attachment-based psychotherapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, mindfulness, and mentalization-based therapy (MBT).

In a partnership with patients, therapeutic care is informed by continuous learning and integrates the most recent research.

I specialize in working with children, teens, and young adults. I also offer art-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as an alternative to traditional talk therapy, providing my young clients with a creative and engaging therapeutic approach.

With a holistic and eclectic approach, I tailor the therapeutic experience to best fit client goals. Combining person-centered therapy, art-informed CBT, and reality therapy, I create a personalized and distinctive journey for my clients. I firmly believes that one's perception plays a crucial role in their overall mental well-being, recognizing that distorted perceptions can hinder the experience of joy. By increasing mindfulness while maintaining realism, I support my clients in achieving their goals.