Tanya V Kavicky-Mels LMFT

I wholeheartedly believe in the goodness of people. The human heart and soul are resilient and know how to heal with support, compassion, being seen and heard. I believe that emotional healing, spiritual transformation, respect, self-care, and unconditional support can and (will) change our world. 

 Also, I am good at what I do, plus I LOVE it! I get motivated when my clients can see their freedom, strength, and power to relate to themselves, their loved ones, and the world healthily. It is inspiring to see my clients come out of this dark depression/anxiety cycle and live a life that feels meaningful to them.

I am honest, direct, will gently, compassionately, and kindly help you see how you stand in your way. I am a therapist that jumps in there with you and not just nods my head and says, "how does that make you feel?".

During your first session, we’ll work on your intake paperwork & sign releases. Your first session will be 75 minutes to cover paperwork & get to know each other. This session will be a little longer to get a complete understanding of your needs & how I can help. Every session after will be 50 minutes, & I recommend in the beginning, we meet once a week for the first 9 weeks to keep up the momentum we see in session. In the next follow-up sessions, you will receive a link to click on during our appointment. Please log on a couple of minutes before our meeting time and hang out in my virtual waiting room. To make sure you have a good experience in person, please find a quiet room with the door closed, locked, and with no interruptions. Please make sure you are connected to the internet which helps us have a secure and clear connection. Let’s demystify therapy. You might have seen how T.V shows, and media portray therapy. You might even think that you come in, and you will have this person nodding at the other end, repeating what you say, and asking how that makes you feel? Ugh! That’s not was is going to happen. You know why you are here and ready to jump in. I know how to help you. It is pretty straightforward. We might talk about deep things that you are not prepared to talk about, how an employee/co-worker annoyed the crap out of you, or how frustrating it is to balance work and life sometimes. In the session, you are guiding the conversation, and my role is to be curious, emphatic/compassionate, and follow your lead. I work best with someone ready for change. I cannot change you; YOU are the only one that can change. I am here to support you in that charge. I spent many years dealing with shame, and my defense was if I keep moving, succeeding, and achieving, I can magically outrun the shame, right? Ha, that does not work! I have been in the pits of shame/anxiety and want to help you with the tools and skills I learned along the way, so you do not have to. I am not your run-of-the-mill therapist. I am a weird, quirky, and cool therapist. I wholeheartedly jump in with compassion and grit to help you figure out what is blocking you from living the life you want. You might be wondering, does she know what she is doing? What life experience does she have? Let me answer your questions: I do know what I am doing. I love what I do, and I am pretty good at it.

• Wisconsin, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 1086-124
• Illinois, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 166.001453

I have worked in different therapist positions over the last ten years. I received part of my clinical therapy hours at the Pacific Center for Human Development and growth in Berkley, California, serving the LGBTQIA+ community for two years. In this position, I developed a deep understanding of how to help folks struggling with anxiety and depression. In addition, I understood how a stigma of any kind could hurt one's mental health. I also worked at a domestic violence shelter in California for two years, where I provided therapy for women and children coming out of domestic violence situations. In addition to the therapy work with the woman and children, I provided therapy for men who committed acts of violence. This experience sharpened my ability to understand the trauma cycle and specialize in effective trauma treatments. I continued my trauma-informed specialization working at Door County Human Services in Wisconsin. I provided psychotherapy services to individuals, couples, and children. In addition to providing therapy, I was on an on-call rotation, providing crisis services when needed. This experience taught me that we all could be in a bad place and helped clarify my trauma specialty. Lastly, I provided outpatient mental health therapy for five years at Bellin Health. I continued to specialize in working with anxiety, depression, and trauma in my position. In addition to therapy services, I provided therapy in the schools, one day a week for students needing treatment. Working in the outpatient mental health world helped me understand how our health and what we eat impacts our mental health.