Vital Essence Psychotherapy

Vital Essence Psychotherapy was established to serve the mental health needs of children and adolescents in Rhode Island. Some common issues we see include anxiety, depression, issues with self-image, bullying, suicidal ideation, cutting, low self-esteem, and life changes and adjustment struggles. We will also see children that are experiencing suicidal ideation, or self-injurious behavior, but that do not meet criteria for inpatient hospital admission. We will provide family therapy for families of all ages, as needed.

As a social worker led clinic, we view each client as part of a dynamic, psychosocial whole, and often view seeing families all together as a necessary part of successful treatment. Jackson Melnick, LICSW, is the lead clinician, and has previous experience at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. He was trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy at The University of Chicago. He first came to Providence as a student at Brown University. He believes that a lack of connection to meaning can be understood as the cause of many mental health challenges and unwanted behaviors.

What makes Vital Essence unique is that it works to discover your authentic sense of self, your inherent values. Through this discovery a resilient and flexible sense of self gets built. We make connections between what you are doing, thinking, and feeling and why you are doing, thinking or feeling those things. The aim is that these connections will spark changes in your life and improve the way you respond to challenges. Right now, we are accepting new patients for telehealth-based sessions.