We recently had the chance to connect with Melissa Preston and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Melissa, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I feel most proud when a client comes in and tells me that they have had a difficult situation and they have learned to handle it differently from our work together. I always tell client this is from their hard work of showing up in therapy, being vulnerable, and being willing to work on changing their behavior. It is not easy to do the work of changing ineffective patterns of behaving.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the business owner of Melissa Preston Therapy. I function primarily as a therapist and secondary as a dietitian. I work mostly with people that have trauma, but also see many people with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and body image issues. I have a secondary specialty working with perinatal/post-partum/ mothers. I also facilitate psychedelic journeys. My desire to be a therapist and help others comes from my personal struggles from my past. I have dealt with eating disorders, post postpartum depression, and have always used therapy in conjunction with plant medicine to help work through these issues.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I used to believe that my purpose was to please others and make others happy. This led me down a road of unhappiness and unease for myself. Once I learned that I was allowed to take up space and please myself in my own therapy, I have become a much happier and more fulfilled person.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain the first time I went to therapy at 12 years old. I realized then that having pain and sharing this was the key to feeling more in control of my own happiness. Sharing my struggles with others has led myself and others to feel less alone in their lives and feel more connected.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Being real and vulnerable. I am the point in my life where being anything other than real is not worth my time.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
People pleasing and doing things to make others happy at the expense of my own happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://melissaprestontherapy.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-preston-ma-lpc-rd-3047034a/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissaprestontherapy/
Image Credits
Walnut Street Photography
