Melissa Ylst, MSW, LCSW

Many of the people I meet have already tried to talk their way through it. They know the story, they can explain what’s wrong, and it still hasn’t shifted. Sometimes the way in isn’t another explanation. It’s a drawing, or a song, or what your shoulders do when a certain subject comes up.

Anxiety and depression are what I see most. Sometimes that’s an adult holding a job and a family together while an ordinary week costs more than it should. Sometimes it’s someone in their twenties who can’t tell whether what they’re feeling is a problem or just their life. Either way, it doesn’t have to reach a crisis before it’s worth bringing in.

Alongside that, a lot of my work is identity and self-worth, often with teens and young adults trying to work out who they are underneath everyone’s expectations — and with the parents who have run out of ways to ask.

Underneath both is what people carry from earlier and have never quite been able to put down. My work is trauma-informed, which mostly means I’m not going to rush you toward a story you’re not ready to tell. We go at the pace you set, and nothing has to come out in the first hour.

How we get there depends on you. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to make sense of thoughts and feelings running in the background, and I draw on somatic work — a plain way of saying your body has an opinion about all this too. I also use expressive approaches — art, music, storytelling — when they help. You don’t have to be good at any of it.

I earned my Master’s in Social Work at Utah Valley University, and during my studies I worked at the Utah County Jail and the Children’s Justice Center. That’s a lot of why I don’t assume I know what someone’s life has been like.

Outside of sessions I’m usually outdoors, picking up a new interest or making something. I like good company and a good scary movie.

I work with people from about age ten up, online — anywhere in Utah, including Saratoga Springs, Lehi, Eagle Mountain and American Fork, and anywhere in Arizona — in the afternoons and evenings. You don’t need to have it figured out before you reach out. That’s what the first conversation is for.

What working together looks like

Our first session is mostly me getting to know you: what brought you in, what you’ve already tried, and what you’d like to feel different. There’s no pressure to tell me everything up front, and you don’t have to be in crisis to come in.

Everything I do is online, so we meet over video from wherever you are. For a lot of people that’s the difference between going to therapy and meaning to — no drive, no waiting room, and you’re somewhere you already feel comfortable. I work afternoons and evenings, usually between 4:00 and 9:00, so sessions land after school or after work rather than in the middle of your day.

If you’re an adult coming in on your own, we start with what’s actually running your week — the worry, the flatness, the thing you keep putting off — and work back from there. You don’t need a diagnosis or a dramatic reason to be here.

If you’re a teenager, I’m not going to talk to you like a project your parents are managing, and what you say in session is private, within a few limits I’ll go over at the start — safety being the main one. If you’re the parent, that means you won’t get a transcript. It doesn’t mean you’re shut out: we’ll talk about the general direction of therapy, supports your teen might need, and parenting approaches that could help.

If you’d like to try the creative side of this work, we can. If you’d rather just talk, we’ll talk. I’d rather find what works for you than run you through my favorite method.

Education and credentials

• Master of Social Work (MSW), Utah Valley University, 2021
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), State of Utah — license no. 12247079-3501
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of Arizona — license no. LCSW-23249 (online sessions in both states)
• Methods used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), expressive therapy (art, music and storytelling), somatic and mindfulness-based approaches, and trauma-informed care
• Graduate experience: worked with diverse populations at the Utah County Jail and the Children’s Justice Center

Focus areas and who I help

A focused set of areas I work in most.

What people say about Redwood

Questions people ask before reaching out

Do you take insurance?

Redwood doesn’t bill insurance directly. We’re an out-of-network provider, which keeps you free to choose the therapist who’s the right fit and keeps the cost clear and known up front. Many plans do reimburse part of out-of-network care, and Redwood partners with Mentaya so you can check whether yours does.

Do you offer virtual sessions, and where are you licensed?

I see clients online only, and I’m licensed in Utah and Arizona, so we can meet from wherever you are in either state. My hours are afternoons and evenings, usually 4:00 to 9:00.

Who do you work with?

Clients from about age ten up: older kids, teens, young adults and adults. I worked with younger children when I practiced in person, and since moving online my caseload has shifted older. Most of what I see at every age is anxiety and depression.

What happens in a first session?

Mostly getting to know you: what brought you in, what you’ve already tried, and what you’d like to feel different. There’s no pressure to share more than you’re ready to, and you don’t have to be in crisis to come in.

Do I have to be artistic to do expressive therapy?

No. Art, music and storytelling are tools I offer, not a requirement, and there’s nothing to be good at. Some people find it easier to get at a feeling sideways than to explain it out loud; if that’s not you, we’ll talk instead. I tailor how we work to what actually helps you.