Mel Hower, LPC, ATR, is a licensed professional counselor and board-certified art therapist who believes therapy should be a space where clients can show up exactly as they are. Mel specializes in working with eating disorders, disordered eating, body image concerns, anxiety, depression, and the unique challenges faced by teens and adults. She has extensive experience working with eating disorders across levels of care, including her work at The Renfrew Center, where she provided treatment in partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient settings. Her work experience at Renfrew helped shape her understanding of recovery as more than changing behaviors and she strives to help her clients reconnect with themselves, their bodies, their relationships, and the life they want to live.

As an art therapist, Mel recognizes that healing does not always happen through words alone. She incorporates creative approaches when appropriate, offering clients another way to explore emotions, develop self-awareness, practice self-compassion, and process experiences that may be difficult to put into words. No artistic experience or ability is required.

Mel takes a trauma-informed, compassionate, and collaborative approach to therapy and incorporates principles from CBT, DBT, and Health at Every Size®. She is passionate about creating an affirming and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ clients and works with people of all genders and backgrounds.

At the heart of Mel’s work is the belief that clients deserve to feel understood rather than judged and supported rather than “fixed.” She strives to create a therapeutic relationship where clients can be honest about what they are experiencing, build a deeper understanding of themselves, and work toward a life that feels meaningful and authentically their own.