Melanie Hower, LPC, ATR-BC
Welcome! A little bit about my professional background... I specialize in eating disorders, body image challenges, and anxiety. I earned my Master of Science in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Art Therapy from Holy Family University. Additionally, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. I have experience working with adolescents and adults with eating disorder diagnoses, body image concerns, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, I have experience working with families affected by domestic violence.
I incorporate art into my therapeutic work by inviting my clients to explore various art mediums which allows for the artwork to serve as another form of emotional expression. Additionally, I work primarily through a HAES (Health At Every Size) approach as well as a trauma-informed lens and pull from CBT and DBT theories. My professional experience includes eating disorder partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient levels of care at The Renfrew Center, outpatient treatment programs, and non-profit community outreach. My passion is to help my clients feel empowered through the use of art-making and emotional exploration. You can find some of my art published in Psychology Today and displayed in local businesses. Alongside my art therapy practices, I'm Reiki certified, and bring a warm presence into my therapeutic work with clients.
I'd love to support you!
I offer evidence-based practices including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Art Therapy. I specialize in supporting clients with eating disorders, body image concerns, body diversity, and health at every size (HAES) aligned principles, while rejecting societal expectations of what bodies should look like.
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DBT focuses on managing difficult emotions and behaviors, while CBT teaches how to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors. Art Therapy is particularly helpful for clients with eating disorders as it can provide a non-verbal form of expression to help them express inner pain and create a meaningful understanding of experience.
