Melanie Greenberg, LCSW, MEd
Melanie is a licensed sex therapist specializing in intimacy, communication, and relationship issues. With a compassionate and holistic approach, she helps individuals and couples navigate the complexities of sexual health, enhancing communication and deepening emotional connections.
Often, when I've struggled with my own mental health, I have referred to my state of being as a feeling of unraveling. This is how it can sometimes feel living with mental illness, but unraveling does not always have to lead to destruction and can also lead to a discovery of self. When we unravel the beliefs and stories that no longer serve or fit us, we discover our true values, needs, and desires. My job is to help you begin pulling those threads and giving permission to be your whole, authentic self.
Being a human can be incredibly isolating, especially for those of us who live inside our heads, battling with the bouncing thoughts and anxieties. We live in a world where vulnerability is often seen as a weakness but I've learned through my years as a therapist, and as a client, that vulnerability is where shame loses its power and connection flourishes.
Most of us are not taught how to communicate effectively which is why modeling communication skills and ways to express needs and boundaries is a huge piece of the work I often do with clients. By giving clients the opportunity to be imperfect without judgment, we provide safety in knowing that it is okay to be a work in progress.
I like to use humor and pop culture to connect with people and learn more about what influences and is important to them. If you become a client of mine, you'll probably hear about my pug, Oscar and he sometimes pops on screen to join sessions.
I am a graduate of Widener University and received a dual master's in social work and education within their sex therapy track. I am Gottman Method Level 1 trained and certified working toward Level 2.
Values and Approach
Social workers have core values that influence our work
Service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.
This means that I am politically loud and active in advocating for the rights of all people, particularly those who are oppressed, vulnerable, and impoverished.
I am passionate about reproductive rights and justice and believe in bodily autonomy.
Life is difficult for those who are aware of the world around them and holding the weight of those feelings, especially during late-stage capitalism, can be overwhelming. The therapy I provide is rooted in feminist, trauma-informed care, is LGBTQIA+ affirming, HAES informed, welcoming to Poly/Kink/ENM, sex workers, and alternative lifestyles. Black Lives Matter.
Black and Brown voices have led the conversation around liberation and justice. The work adrienne maree brown has done around pleasure activism has changed my approach to therapy. She has brought to light the ways in which oppression makes pleasure appear to be a luxury when in reality, it is a human right.
We all deserve to have a pleasurable life, whether it be having our sexual needs met or learning how to rest in a capitalist society that teaches us that rest means we are lazy. This life, this body that we reside in, we only get one go at it (maybe) and we were not put here to try to fit the mold of beauty and success that was scripted for us. We can learn how to undo the toxic beliefs and patterns we've been conditioned to follow together.