Melissa Daoud
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #119476
I am a board-certified, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in working with teenagers and young adults. I have a Master’s in Counseling from Santa Clara University and am licensed to practice therapy in California.
Specialties and Focus Areas
My main areas of specialty include:
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Parenting and Family Therapy
About Melissa
I am a board-certified, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in working with teenagers and young adults. I have a Master’s in Counseling from Santa Clara University and am licensed to practice therapy in California.
My work as a therapist has always centered around children, teens, and their families. I tailor my approach to each client’s needs and offer the support needed to navigate relationships, identity, and the stressors that accompany work and school. When working with a client, I find it crucial to understand the contexts and systems in their environment to address wellness needs. As such, I am comfortable working with clients not only on an individual level but also with their families, partners, and schools.
In my work, I prioritize a genuine relationship with clients, blending authenticity with warmth and humor, and I use evidence-based practices to promote growth and healing. My clinical practice is informed by Relational Developmental Systems Theory and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, ensuring grounding in their background and development while building skills to move forward. When working with couples, I use the Gottman Method and Emotion Focused Therapy to encourage connection and help resolve conflict. With families, I draw on Structural Family Therapy and Attachment-Based Family Therapy, to help identify detrimental patterns and provide a path towards repair. My bicultural background as a Muslim-American woman also means that I understand the importance of cultural sensitivity in therapy, and the ways that differing cultural backgrounds can affect relationships.
My previous work in school-based psychotherapy programs also provided me with extensive experience in understanding the difficulties students may face and the methods available to address them both individually in collaboration with faculty. My role as a parent of three (excluding my two cats) shapes my worldview, and I understand firsthand the complexity of balancing family dynamics. Outside the office, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and working out.
Services I Offer:
I specialize in supporting children, teens, and families as they navigate the pressures of growing up and staying connected. I help clients manage stressors tied to school, work, and identity. Since everyone feels differently, I tailor my approach—integrating tools to regulate emotions while honoring the unique systems and environments you live in.
What it’s Like to Work With Me
Working with me feels like entering a collaborative, non-judgmental space where you are truly seen. I take a relational approach, meaning our therapeutic connection is the heart of our work together. Whether I am working with a child, a teen, or an adult, we explore how your earliest relationships and current environment shape your world, using the insights of attachment theory to find healing. To help you navigate daily life, I weave in practical DBT skills and psychoeducation, ensuring you leave our sessions not just feeling understood, but truly equipped.
Expertise in:
- Anxiety & Depression
- Educational System Support
- Gifted and Twice Exceptional
- Life Transitions
- Parenting & Family Conflict
- Relationships & Attachment
- Trauma
- Self-Harm
- Learning Differences
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Experience Working With
- Children, teens, adults, and parents with kids with big emotions
- Children of immigrants
- Supporting immigrant parents raise bi-cultural children
- Trauma, PTSD
- Supporting families launching a teen to college
- Anxiety and Depression
- Educational System Support
- Gifted and Twice Exceptional
- Life Transitions
- Parenting and Family Conflict
- Relationships and Attachment
- Trauma
- Self-Harm
- Learning Differences
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Therapeutic Approach
I integrate multiple evidence-based modalities, including:
Education & Training
Education
- M.A., Santa Clara University, Counseling Psychology
- M.A., San Jose State University, Research and Experimental Psychology
- B.A., San Jose State University, Psychology
Training
- Comprehensive DBT
- Attachment-based Family Therapy
- Gottman Couples Therapy
- EMDR
- CBT
Life Outside the Therapy Room
Outside of sessions, you can find me:
- At a coffee shop with a latte and a book or my laptop.
- Hunting for the best seasonal finds at our area’s farmers’ markets.
- Embracing the sidelines and staying busy with my kids’ activities and family time.
- Unwinding at home with my family and my cats.
Additional Areas of Expertise
- Anxiety and Depression
- Educational System Support
- Gifted and Twice Exceptional
- Life Transitions
- Parenting and Family Conflict
- Relationships and Attachment
- Trauma
- Self-Harm
- Learning Differences
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder