(KeriTé) Merrissa Hughes,
M.Ed, LPC
(KeriTé) Merrissa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Masters of Education in Counseling from Texas Southern University. Merrissa is a former educator with over 15 years of experience in education. She enjoys working with a wide range of issues including: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, over eating, body image issues, problems at school, and social skills coaching.
Merrissa has a variety of different training that she utilizes as it best fits you in the therapy room. She is trained in Expressive arts, a fully trained Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing therapist, in addition to being both Daring Way and Rising Strong Curriculum Certified. Merrissa is currently working towards becoming an eating disorder specialist. Her approach to counseling is multi- faceted utilizing client centered aspects and Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Dialectic Behavior Therapy. Merrissa seeks to work with clients that are motivated. She hopes to enable them to make positive changes in their lives. Merrissa enjoys working with adolescents, teens, and adults.
When Merrissa isn’t counseling she is hanging out with her friends and family. She is wife and a mom of two active children. Merrissa is also a fan of the arts and loves singing and dancing. She enjoys traveling and her dream vacations are France, Italy and Greece.
Merrissa will begin accepting new clients in July 2022. Please email her at merrissa@emboldencc.com to start your journey.
Learn more about Merrissa in her interview with the Houston Voyager
Ciera Harris, M.Ed, LPC Associate
Supervised by Monica E. Jackson, Ph.D
Ciera is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate. She works with various clients including those experiencing anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors, relationship challenges, self-esteem, and trauma.
As a counselor, her desire is to nurture the courage to be imperfect by building relationships where her clients feel connected, acknowledged for who they are, and fully accepted in a safe and compassionate environment.
Melany Barr-Patz, LPC Associate
Supervised by
Robyn Rausch, LPC-S, RPT-S
Melany is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and Certified School Counselor. Before
becoming a counselor, she taught preschool and elementary school.
As a counselor, Melany carries over many of the things she most enjoyed about teaching, including
building relationships that nurture and encourage, and tailoring her approach to match clients’
needs.
She works mainly from an Adlerian perspective, which recognizes that our mental health concerns
often stem from long-standing beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us. When
those beliefs are no longer serving us well, we can explore new ways of thinking and being which
better enhance our wellbeing.
Melany integrates techniques from trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, play therapy, and
solution-focused brief therapy according to clients’ goals. She works with children, parents, and
adults to address various concerns such as anxiety, depression, or difficulties with adjustment. She
is particularly interested in the social and emotional needs of gifted and “twice exceptional”
children, as well as the treatment of childhood anxiety.
In her free time, Melany loves to read and hang out with her husband, toddler, and two dogs. She
grew up speaking both French and English at home, and lived in France throughout most of her
childhood and adolescence. As a Texan transplant, she is still exploring the Houston area and
welcomes any and all food recommendations and ideas for toddler-friendly outings!
Melany will begin seeing clients July 25th. Please email her at melany@emboldencc.com to begin your journey.
