Melissa — Melissa Ann Lester

My Story

My healing journey began in 2006. I was depressed, anxious, and working in the corporate world surrounded by toxicity. I had so many unprocessed and unhealed traumas that it became overwhelming. My life felt fragmented and I was on the verge of breaking. After over a decade of struggling with anxiety and depression, I committed to living life differently. To live freer, more fully - embracing all aspects of myself. With some gentle encouragement from my sister and husband, I decided to see a therapist.

To say that therapy changed my life is an understatement. I learned of my strength and resilience, and how to live my life fully again. I learned to trust myself and to listen to my inner wisdom. I set boundaries and explored how different relationships impacted me on an emotional, psychological, and spiritual level. I was able to gain insight and clarity on my experiences and reframe the narrative that was imposed upon me, all while healing my wounded inner child that was in such desperate need of acceptance and love. I learned to meet myself with compassion and to love myself again. I discovered my true essence, my divine right as a person - and that within me all along I possessed a powerful, innate capacity to heal. I was able to transmute my suffering into something beautiful.

My therapist held space for me and guided me through some of the most difficult and painful times in my life as I released the shroud that had enveloped me and began healing. We worked through a traditional lens of therapy, as well as discussing and exploring the spiritual aspects of healing - such as learning to ground and protect my energy while creating an openness to experience other healing modalities like Reiki, Shamanic journeying, and working with the body’s energetic system.

After several years of growth and healing, I unfortunately once again found myself in a toxic work environment - stressed, burned out, and disillusioned with my experience in the corporate world. My job felt meaningless. I craved a career that felt aligned and purposeful. One day, as I was processing this with my therapist, she encouraged me to also step into the role of therapist. So in 2012, I started graduate school at Georgia State University. I acknowledged and moved through my many fears and committed to my calling. For this, I am deeply grateful.

After graduating in the spring of 2014, I immediately joined a group practice. Seeing clients from eight to eighty from a clinical perspective that the practice preferred and also a holistic perspective for my clients and myself. I learned a lot about how to work with others in different life stages. For four years I stayed working alongside friends and colleagues before taking the leap and launching my own practice - something I had dreamed of for years.

My approach to therapy has always been holistic - from a mind, body, spirit perspective. However, after several years of working as a psychotherapist, I craved to expand my work with clients and incorporate the powerful healing modalities that were a part of my own journey. So I began studying Reiki, trained to be a meditation teacher, and learned to work with and teach energy medicine. And so when appropriate, these practices and potent healing modalities were and are integrated into my work with clients.

I am honored and humbled to bear witness to the healing journey of others. It is through this sacred work of holding space and walking alongside others in their healing that I am in alignment with my purpose.