The Restore Model
The RESTORE Model for Relational Trauma Recovery
About Melissa E. Santana, MS, LMHC
Melissa E. Santana, MS, LMHC, is a bilingual therapist licensed in New York and Florida, a Registered Qualified Supervisor in Florida, and the author and creator of The RESTORE Model for Relational Trauma Recovery. She offers compassionate, trauma-informed virtual therapy for college students, working professionals, and adults navigating grief, stress, and life transitions.
Melissa believes that therapy can offer a meaningful space to slow down, gain clarity, and feel supported through some of life’s most difficult and uncertain moments. Her work is rooted in compassion, psychoeducation, practical tools, and thoughtful reflection to help clients better understand their experiences and move forward with greater steadiness and self-understanding.
Her Approach
Melissa takes a collaborative, compassionate, and integrative approach to therapy. She tailors treatment to each client’s unique needs while drawing from psychoeducation, reflective insight, and practical coping strategies that support meaningful and sustainable change. Her goal is to create a space where clients feel safe, supported, and understood as they work through emotional distress, grief, life transitions, and relational challenges.
As the author and creator of The RESTORE Model for Relational Trauma Recovery, Melissa values offering care that is trauma-informed, grounded, and supportive of deeper healing. She believes in helping clients make sense of what they are carrying in a way that feels gentle, empowering, and applicable to everyday life.
Who She Works With
Melissa works with college students, working professionals, and adults who may be navigating:
• grief and loss
• major life transitions
• stress and burnout
• emotional overwhelm
• difficulty focusing
• relational challenges
• adjustment to change
What Clients Can Expect
Clients working with Melissa can expect a supportive and culturally sensitive therapeutic space where insight and practical support come together. She strives to meet each person where they are while helping them build resilience, strengthen coping skills, and develop a clearer understanding of themselves and their needs.
Whether you are moving through grief, facing a season of change, or simply feeling overwhelmed by all that you are carrying, therapy can help you feel more grounded, supported, and better equipped to move forward. Melissa welcomes the opportunity to support clients in New York and Florida through compassionate virtual therapy.