Heart Soul and Paw Counseling, PLLC

Helping children, teens, and adults discover hope, healing, and what’s possible.

Animal-Assisted Counseling Virtual Counseling Play Therapy Animal-Assisted Play Therapy Faith-Based Counseling

Welcome

At Heart Soul and Paw Counseling, PLLC, I provide compassionate counseling support for children, teens, and adults seeking healing, growth, emotional wellness, and practical next steps.

Counseling is available in person by appointment in Conroe, as well as virtually for clients located in Texas.

My approach is warm, collaborative, strengths-based, and trauma-informed. Counseling may include solution-focused support, cognitive behavioral therapy strategies, play therapy-informed approaches, optional faith-based counseling, and animal-assisted counseling with Arlo, my certified canine counseling partner.

About Melissa

Hello, I’m Melissa Crowder, M.Ed., LPC Associate, supervised by Patricia Halley, MS, LPC-S.

Before becoming a counselor, I worked in education, where I gained years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and families through academic, emotional, behavioral, and life challenges.

My counseling style is compassionate, practical, and collaborative. I often work from a solution-focused perspective, helping clients recognize their strengths, notice progress, and take manageable steps toward the changes they want to see.

I have training in trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as extensive training and experience in play therapy-informed counseling, animal-assisted counseling, and animal-assisted play therapy. These approaches allow counseling to be creative, relational, and developmentally appropriate, especially for children and clients who may benefit from more than traditional talk therapy.

Meet Arlo

Arlo is my certified canine counseling partner and a special part of Heart Soul and Paw Counseling. He is gentle, friendly, and trained to support the counseling process in a calm and intentional way.

Arlo and I are a Certified Animal-Assisted Counseling Team through the Animal-Assisted Counseling Academy at Texas State University. Our training included extensive preparation, supervision, and evaluation in ethical and clinically appropriate animal-assisted counseling practices.

In sessions, Arlo may help create comfort, connection, and emotional safety. Animal-assisted counseling may support emotional regulation, trust-building, communication, confidence, and engagement.

Clients are never required to interact with Arlo. His involvement is based on client preference, clinical appropriateness, safety, and animal welfare.

Services Offered:

Individual Counseling for Adults and Teens

Individual counseling offers a supportive space to feel heard, understood, and encouraged as you work through life’s challenges. Together, we can explore life stressors, trauma, grief, relationships, coping skills, self-esteem, and personal growth while identifying strengths and practical next steps.

Animal-Assisted Counseling

Animal-assisted counseling may be available with Arlo when clinically appropriate. This is a goal-directed counseling approach that can support emotional regulation, connection, confidence, communication, and engagement.

Child and Adolescent Counseling

Developmentally appropriate support for children and teens facing emotional, behavioral, relational, or life challenges. Counseling may include emotional expression, coping skills, problem-solving, confidence-building, family collaboration, and creative interventions tailored to each client.

Play-Based Counseling

Play-based counseling helps children and teens express feelings, process experiences, build emotional awareness, and practice new skills through developmentally appropriate activities such as play, games, art, sand tray, and creative expression.

Virtual Counseling

Secure virtual counseling is available for clients located in Texas. Virtual sessions may be a good fit for teens, adults, parents, and some children depending on the client’s needs, goals, privacy, and developmental readiness.

Animal-Assisted Play Therapy

Melissa has specialized training in Animal-Assisted Play Therapy, including child-centered and solution-focused approaches. When clinically appropriate, Arlo can be included to support emotional expression, connection, regulation, confidence, communication, and growth.

Faith-Based Counseling

Faith-Based Counseling Available Upon Request

For clients who desire it, faith can be thoughtfully integrated into the counseling process. I respect that faith may be an important source of hope, strength, identity, and healing.

Faith-based counseling is always optional and guided by each client’s comfort level, beliefs, and counseling goals. Clients are welcome whether they want faith included in sessions or prefer a more general counseling approach.

Fees

Heart Soul and Paw Counseling is a self-pay private practice. I do not currently accept insurance.

A limited number of sliding scale spots may be available for clients experiencing financial hardship. Sliding scale availability can be discussed during the consultation process.