January Hero of the Month: Melissa Yaeger, LPC, LPCC, PMH-C

Every month, we spotlight a counselor who has gone above and beyond for Uwill as our Hero of the Month. This month, we are delighted to recognize Melissa Yaeger, LPC, LPCC, PMH-C. 

Joining the Uwill team in August 2023, Melissa has always gone the extra mile in support of Uwill, our students, and her fellow counselors. She has had more than 1,000 appointments, impacting the lives of students across California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and maintains a very high feedback rating.

Check out the interview below to learn more about Melissa’s journey and how working with Uwill has empowered her to become a better therapist while supporting students across the country.

What excites you the most about working with Uwill?
The thing that I feel most excited about working with Uwill is just the opportunity that it presents to be able to connect with students all across the country. I am licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California so it just gives me this rare and unique opportunity to connect with these students in a way that I really would have never been able to have the chance to even know any of these students. 

What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most?
The aspect of my work that I enjoy the most is getting to meet with someone who has never been to counseling before. Maybe they thought about it but either had been intimidated by it or there are cultural or family reasons, maybe they weren’t allowed or it was kind of frowned upon. Getting the chance to meet one of those students and watch them go from feeling really intimidated, hesitant, or worried in the beginning of the session and then by the end, they have this sense of hope and curiosity; getting to see that change and getting to see that openness is something that I really value and really love.

What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned through your work?
The most important lesson that I have learned through my work is that at the end of the day sometimes someone just really needs someone else to be there to listen. I don’t need to say anything amazingly profound. I don’t need to have the best theory or the best tool or the best this or the best that. Sometimes what they really just need is someone who is listening to them without judgment or with empathy. I think sometimes we as counselors get so caught up in “I need to do this training and I need to know how to do this and I need to do that.” Sometimes at the end of the day, we just need to remember that showing up as we are is the most important thing we can do for anyone. 

What impact has Uwill had on you as a professional?
Working in private practice, especially fully remote, can sometimes feel very isolating. But working with Uwill it’s like I have the support of working for a group practice without having maybe some of the other things that come along with that like being told when to schedule or how to do this, how to do that. Professionally, working with Uwill has just made me feel so much more important or validated as a counselor. With private practice, it’s just me. But with Uwill, it’s like I get this whole team while still being able to be flexible as a private practice practitioner.

To learn more about becoming a counselor with Uwill, click on the link below.

Back to Blog

Share this: