Therapist profile
Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker, LMFT
Florida
Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker, LMFT - Relationships and Codependency
Continue with MelindaWhere Melinda stands
- Credentials
- LMFT
- License
- Psychologist, Florida / PY7080; LMFT, Florida / MT1504
- NPI
- 1730397225
- Experience
- 32 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Florida
About
- Attachment-based work
- Psychodrama methods
- CBT and DBT skills
About Melinda
Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker is a Florida-licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 32 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing anxiety, depression, relationship strain, addictions, trauma, codependency, and related stresses. She also supports people dealing with parenting concerns, grief, ADHD, bipolar symptoms, and intimacy issues.
Her approach is grounded in family systems thinking and attachment ideas. She uses client-centered conversation alongside practical cognitive-behavioral and DBT techniques. Sessions may include action-oriented methods drawn from psychodrama and sociometry to help people notice patterns in relationships and feelings.
Dr. Coker emphasizes clear boundaries and understanding emotional needs. She helps people name what they want and practice choices that feel healthier over time. Work can include addressing past trauma, stress responses, or the fallout of disrupted attachments.
Her background spans private psychotherapy, inpatient and outpatient drug treatment, high school counseling, women's prison services, and drug court programs. That range informs how she shapes sessions for different life situations and practical problems.
People who come for help can expect direct conversation about patterns that keep repeating. The focus is on what someone does, feels, and wants to change. She invites questions so people can decide if the approach fits their needs before committing to ongoing work.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationships shape reactions now. Online sessions can help people identify attachment patterns such as fear of abandonment or anxious caregiving and practice new responses in conversation with a therapist.Client-Centered Therapy centers on clear, nonjudgmental listening and following the client's concerns. In remote sessions this looks like open conversation where the therapist helps clarify what matters most and supports practical next steps.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions. Online work can include short skill-building exercises, homework, and planning to change unhelpful patterns between sessions.
Choosing the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels useful, then adapt methods collaboratively. That way the plan can shift as needs change.
The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm available session options before booking. Many people find remote sessions easier to fit into a day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Remote work can also make it simpler to practice boundary-setting and communication skills in the context of everyday life.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
32+ years
Listed in
Florida
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you help with people-pleasing and putting others first?
Yes. She works with patterns like people-pleasing, codependency, and trouble setting limits so clients can practice clearer choices.
What is her general therapy style?
She combines family-systems and attachment ideas with client-centered listening and practical CBT and DBT skills to address daily problems and relationship patterns.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 32 years of experience in a range of settings including inpatient drug treatment, outpatient psychotherapy, high school counseling, and work in correctional and court-related programs.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LMFT licensed in Florida and also identified as a Florida psychologist in her background. Her practice is based in Florida.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
She accepts international clients. Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are used?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to see her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.