Back to therapists

Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker

FL LMFT MT1504, FL Psychologist PY7080
Credentials
FL LMFT MT1504, FL Psychologist PY7080
NPI Number
1730397225
Location
Florida
Languages
English
Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker

Accepting new clients

32 years experience | Intl Clients Welcome
Work with me

About Dr. Melinda Lawless Coker

Hi, there! I go by “M.A.,” though I have other nicknames, too. I’m a licensed family therapist and a licensed psychologist; I completed my graduate education programs in Miami, FL. I work from a multigenerational family systems approach and incorporate psychodramatic (& sociometric) methods into my clinical work; these are each relational in theory, in reality/in practice, and in the healing process. I believe in establishing clear boundaries and learning what someone’s emotional needs are, so that they can make healthy choices and potentially get grounded as often as necessary.

I’ve been a psychotherapist for more than 30 years. This has included working with many different groups of people in various settings (e.g., private psychotherapy, inpatient drug treatment, high school counseling program, county drug treatment, outpatient psychotherapy, women’s prison, drug court treatment, etc.). My focus at times has been on healing past personal trauma (e.g., sexual abuse/incest, rape, domestic violence, etc.), as well as anxiety, stress, depression, and borderline personality disorder – among other daily life challenges.

I look forward to beginning my work with you and hope you’ll ask me questions about anything that will facilitate a useful & relevant experience in therapy for you, personally. I hope to hear from you soon!

Licenses

Psychologist
PY7080
LMFT
MT1504

Professional experience

  • Addictions
  • ADHD
  • Anger management
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Career difficulties
  • Compassion fatigue
  • Coping with life changes
  • Depression
  • Family conflicts
  • Grief
  • Intimacy-related issues
  • LGBT
  • Parenting issues
  • Relationship issues
  • Self esteem
  • Stress, Anxiety
  • Trauma and abuse

Additional Focus Areas

  • Abandonment
  • Attachment issues
  • Avoidant personality
  • Blended family issues
  • Body image
  • Caregiver issues and stress
  • Co-morbidity
  • Codependency
  • Commitment issues
  • Communication problems
  • Control issues
  • Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
  • Dependent personality
  • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
  • Dissociation
  • Divorce and separation
  • Domestic violence
  • Drug and alcohol addiction
  • Emptiness
  • Family of origin issues
  • Family problems
  • Fatherhood issues
  • First responder issues
  • Gender dysphoria
  • Guilt and shame
  • HIV / AIDS
  • Hospice and end-of-life counseling
  • Impulsivity
  • Isolation / loneliness
  • Jealousy
  • Life purpose
  • Men's issues
  • Mood disorders
  • Multicultural concerns
  • Panic disorder and panic attacks
  • Personality disorders
  • Phobias
  • Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
  • Post-traumatic stress
  • Postpartum depression
  • Prejudice and discrimination
  • Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
  • Self-harm
  • Self-love
  • Sexual assault and abuse
  • Sexuality
  • Smoking / vaping cessation
  • Social anxiety and phobia
  • Somatization
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
  • Women's issues
  • Workplace issues
  • Young adult issues

Clinical Approaches

  • Attachment-Based Therapy
  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Existential Therapy
  • Mindfulness Therapy
  • Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Trauma-Focused Therapy

Languages

  • English

15 Reviews

“Lovely therapist and very knowledgeable”

“I have worked with Melinda for a year now and she has help me with my confidence and growth so much, so caring, respectful and supportive”

“A wonderful therapist. Kind and friendly. Highly recommend :)”

“Dr Lawless Coker (MA) - has / is an excellent therapist. She's helped me understand my key issues and give me the skills to move forwards. All from the other side of the world and our respective houses.”

“Attentive and caring.”

“Dr Lawless Coker is a great support on my journey to self compassion, healthy strategies, understanding myself, healing from trauma, and dealing with challenges in life. She is encouraging and helpful and makes therapy feel less scary and intimidating.”

“Dr Coker is attentive and gets to the source of things. She's been helpful since day 1 and we've made great progress and have found multiple ways to stay connected since I have started my time with BetterHelp! I vouch for Dr Lawless Coker!!”

“great doctor”

“Dr. Coker is knowledgeable and friendly. She is a pleasure to work with.”

“We have only met once But I’m confident that Dr lawless will continue to be vital part of my recovery ❤️‍”

“Dr. Lawless Corker makes me feel supported, believed, and worthy. She sends me exerpts of things on topics we discussed during our weekly video sessions that are so helpful. She has gone above and beyond my wildest dreams for how helpful getting therapy from a psychologist could be. I truly feel like she is a partner in my journey of therapy. I am so lucky to have been paired with her.”

“I've enjoyed working with Dr. Coker!”

“Very caring and knowledgeable.”

“I have met weekly with Dr. Lawless Coker for the past 2 months. In that short amount of time, she has shared a lot of her knowledge and techniques with me to help me stay grounded and integrate self-care into my routine. She always sends the information on these concepts in writing after the session, so I can refer to them later and it allows me to focus on the session rather than taking notes non-stop. I also really appreciate that Dr. Lawless Coker took the time to ask questions about the people (and pets) in my family; this allows her to understand me better and I can say with certainty that her main goal is making sure I get better.”

“Dr. Lawless Coker's approach is really gentle and I love having things to practice to make sure I am incorporating self-care into my routine. She also provides lots of examples to help me understand new concepts. I'm learning a lot.”

These reviews represent a few of the most recent positive reviews from the therapist's clients on BetterHelp. Some people's experience may be different.
Scroll to Top