top of page

Mission Statement

My mission is to:

  • provide counseling to clients in a compassionate, individualized, and collaborative manner; 

  • remain curious, respectful, and open to the experiences of others;

  • reduce gatekeeping and increase access to affirming mental health care for the neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ community; 

    • by remaining engaged in professional development​

    • by remaining involved and invested in the neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ community;

    • by being transparent and growing as a counselor. 

About Me

Hello! My name is Melinda Ledlow (she/her) and I'm a board-certified professional counselor out of Aiken, South Carolina.  I am clinically licensed in both South Carolina and Kansas.  I hold a Registered Play Therapy credential and see clients of all ages.  I have worked in private practice since December 2017 after transitioning from working at a community mental health agency. 

The More Boring Bits

Mission Statement

My mission is to:

  • provide counseling to clients in a compassionate, individualized, and collaborative manner; 

  • remain curious, respectful, and open to the experiences of others;

  • reduce gatekeeping and increase access to affirming mental health care for the neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ community; 

    • by remaining engaged in professional development​

    • by remaining involved and invested in the neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ community;

    • by being transparent and growing as a counselor. 

About Melinda

79A80CB2-6681-4B7D-B63D-7E1F7465A96A_1_105_c.jpeg

A. Still Lens Photography

Hello! My name is Melinda (she/her).  I have worked in my own private practice since December 2017 after transitioning from working at a community mental health agency. My counseling style is calming and typically low energy.  I work from a trauma and brain-based approach and integrate different modalities and approaches to individualize and tailor counseling to best fit each individual's needs.  I most frequently use aspects of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), play and sandtray therapy, narrative therapy, and Rogerian therapy.  I frequently use techniques influenced by somatic therapists such as Peter Levine, trauma experts such as Bessel van Der Kolk and Bruce Perry, as well as techniques influenced by Dan Siegel.  I do not do a lot of CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) type work in my practice although I do utilize some of the basic foundational pieces of the modality.  We are all different and I work to make sure my counseling methods reflect that. 

 

I enjoy working with all ages and my passion includes working with clients who are seeking a counselor who accepts them for who they are and may have had bad experiences in the past with counseling.  I focus most on the therapeutic relationship so much of our work together will be through our conversations together.  If you are looking for a workbook therapist- I am not for you- but I'd be happy to try to help you find one.  When you call, we can discuss your needs and my approaches and see if we are a good fit.  

As far as who I am outside of the office: I am a queer cisgender and neurodivergent woman.  I love to read, watch Netflix, play video games (currently enjoying Divinity Original Sin 2), and play board games.  I have an awesome son and a pretty geeky IT husband. I love learning and am doing consultation with a trans clinician to increase my knowledge and appropriate work with my trans and enby clients, as well as providing kink-informed care.  

The Boring Bits

Licensure:

Licensed Professional Counselor- South Carolina

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor- Kansas

Credentials & Certifications:

Board Certification - NBCC

Registered Play Therapist

Mental Health First Aid

International Knowledge & Experience Certificate

Education:

M.A.- Infant & Early Childhood Development with an emphasis in Mental Health & Developmental Disorders

M.S.- Clinical Mental Health Counseling 

Certificate of Play Therapy

B.A.- Psychology & Spanish with a minor in Human Ecology

Memberships:

American Counseling Association

Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities

Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling

Association for Play Therapy

South Carolina Association for Play Therapy

South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association

Kansas Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

bottom of page