Melissa Higgins, LCSW, CEO

Melissa Higgins, LCSW, CEO Melissa Higgins, LCSW is the founder and CEO of the Center for Therapy & Counseling Services and Centered Wellness.

I was accepted as a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Man...
09/17/2025

I was accepted as a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management and will be included in the International Registry of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress! I also registered to volunteer with the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology and offer virtual training and supervision for responders in Ukraine.

My first Rita's this summer!
08/30/2025

My first Rita's this summer!

"To bear witness to transformations of trauma has been a privilege beyond measure. It has been the driving force in both...
08/30/2025

"To bear witness to transformations of trauma has been a privilege beyond measure. It has been the driving force in both my professional and personal growth."
- Melissa Higgins, LCSW

"In working with thousands of adults and many teens and children over the course of 35 years, I have found that most peo...
08/30/2025

"In working with thousands of adults and many teens and children over the course of 35 years, I have found that most people have an innate pull of curiosity and exploration. This impulse can be used to support healing. Sadly this primal energy is often forced underground by toxic stress and trauma. But this powerful resource lives deep within all of us and lies in wait, ready to be awakened at the right moment.
With this professional experience, I have learned that behind every statistic is a person. I have learned their stories. I have followed their journeys of healing and resilience. Having seen many get back up and thrive, my experiences have given me some insights and passion for helping others do the same."
Melissa Higgins, LCSW

My life experiences and professional training do not lead me to many black and white statements. If anything, becoming a...
06/29/2025

My life experiences and professional training do not lead me to many black and white statements. If anything, becoming and holding the space of a therapist has only made me see more complexity within simplicity and be more comfortable with the unknowing shades of grey.

Meet Tulah. She is now 6 months old and full of mischief!
06/18/2025

Meet Tulah. She is now 6 months old and full of mischief!

I'm incredibly thankful and honored that I get to do the work I do!
06/11/2025

I'm incredibly thankful and honored that I get to do the work I do!

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty crushed by all of the bad news these days. It makes me feel hopeless and helpless...
05/11/2025

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty crushed by all of the bad news these days. It makes me feel hopeless and helpless, not to mention angry and disconnected from my fellow citizens.
That’s why I need some inspiration right now, to motivate me to stay true to my values of caring for others’ welfare and fighting for what’s right.
I've been trying to infuse inspiration into my life to help me protect my own mental health. I actively seek good news. There are incredible stories of people who overcome obstacles, of people who engage in acts of moral beauty on a daily basis—teachers, police officers, firefighters, you name it. I seek these stories out.
Given these times, how do you fight for your moral values and adhere to doing what’s right?

Who wants to be told “have a great day!” when you don’t have a job, or when you’ve run through your savings, or when you...
11/16/2024

Who wants to be told “have a great day!” when you don’t have a job, or when you’ve run through your savings, or when you have no idea what tomorrow will bring? Maybe “have a day” is just the response of the day. Maybe it’s enough.

After all, there is a lot to absorb, a lot to process, and a lot to manage in any given day, so taking away the pressure of it has to also make for a good day in its own way. Trying to feel great is just one big thing we can all take off our plate.

So today, I hope you have a day. I hope you have one tomorrow as well and the day after that.

One of my favorite quotes speaks to the importance of being kind to everyone, since everyone is fighting some kind of ba...
09/02/2024

One of my favorite quotes speaks to the importance of being kind to everyone, since everyone is fighting some kind of battle whether we know it or not. I thought a lot about that this week because it felt like every conversation I had with others was about some personal struggle.
So here we are. All of us trying to hold it together for those we love and for those who depend on us. Here we are trying to hold it together for ourselves. We are all trying to help out, reach out, and tell ourselves that things will finally get better once… (fill in the blank).
But what are we to do until then? I have one idea, and please don’t say it’s a little idea, because I think it's big.
Be kind. After all, everyone you know is fighting some kind of big battle.

Really, it all comes down to perspective. Everything seems more difficult and overwhelming when I'm wading through the m...
08/12/2024

Really, it all comes down to perspective. Everything seems more difficult and overwhelming when I'm wading through the muck of a disappointment, knee-deep in my messy emotions. But oftentimes when I step back and view things in a different light, life suddenly seems more manageable, and sometimes the painful seems not only tolerable but also useful.
You can't see the whole picture from where you're standing, so take a deep breath and remind yourself that things likely aren't as bad as they seem. And even if the worst thing happened, you could handle it and maybe even grow and gain in ways you can't possibly predict.

Lunch with some of my family at Applebee's Grill + Bar in Middletown, NJ today. Sunday meals are a thing for me. My chil...
07/21/2024

Lunch with some of my family at Applebee's Grill + Bar in Middletown, NJ today. Sunday meals are a thing for me. My childhood was influenced significantly by having my grandparents within a short driving distance (when we weren't staying with them). But moments together aren’t guaranteed. I want my family to be connected.

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Edison, NJ
08817

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