Melanie Umbdenstock, MHP, Clinical Intern
Kids, Adolescents, College, Young Adults,
Anxiety, ADHD, Emotional Regulation, Perfectionism, Body Image, Relationship Challenges, Social Anxiety, Social Media Addiction, Life Transitions
Hi there! I’m Melanie, and I’m so glad you’re here.
Taking the first step toward therapy can feel overwhelming. Sitting down with someone you’ve just met and talking about the parts of your life that feel confusing, painful, or difficult to put into words is no small thing. I don’t take that vulnerability lightly. Having experienced therapy from both sides of the room, I bring a personal understanding of the courage it takes to begin and the healing that’s possible through the therapeutic relationship.
I’m currently completing my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Northwestern University. Throughout my clinical training, I’ve worked with adults in individual therapy and co-facilitated multifamily groups supporting teens and their parents. My experience includes helping clients navigate anxiety, emotional regulation, perfectionism, relationship challenges, and life transitions.
My therapeutic foundation is rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and existential approaches. At the same time, I don’t believe therapy should follow a one-size-fits-all model. I take an integrative, relational, and humanistic approach, tailoring each session to your unique experiences, strengths, and goals. I strive to create a space where you feel heard, understood, and empowered to move toward meaningful change.
Before beginning my counseling career, I spent several years in student leadership, mentorship, and recruitment consulting. Those experiences taught me the importance of listening deeply, recognizing people’s strengths, and helping them discover new possibilities. That same curiosity, warmth, and collaboration guide the way I work with clients today. While change is rarely linear, I’ve seen firsthand that growth is possible, and I’m honored to walk alongside clients as they move toward the life they want to build.
Originally from the northern suburbs of Chicago, I attended Florida State University, where I earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Communications. After graduation, I returned to Chicago to work in recruitment consulting, an experience that reignited my passion for mental health and reinforced the power of being genuinely curious about another person’s story. Today, I live in Chicago’s West Loop with my fiancé, where we’re usually busy planning our wedding or tackling our latest condo DIY project.
For Fun…
Outside the therapy room, I enjoy working in fashion and personal styling as a creative outlet. I love experimenting with color, texture, and design, whether through clothing or art, especially watercolor and colored pencils.
I’m also an avid reader who usually has several books going at once across different genres. I believe stories have an incredible ability to help us better understand ourselves and others. If there’s a book that’s been meaningful to you, I’d love to hear about it—we may even find ourselves talking about it in session.
Benefits of Working with a Clinical Intern
If you’re searching for a therapist, don’t overlook the opportunity to work with one of Inspire’s Clinical Interns. Many clients are surprised to learn that Clinical Interns often bring a unique combination of enthusiasm, specialized training, individualized attention, and extensive supervision that can create an exceptional therapy experience.
Some of the benefits of working with a Clinical Intern include:
- Personalized Attention: Clinical Interns typically maintain smaller caseloads, allowing them to devote more time, energy, and focus to each client.
- Current Training and Evidence-Based Approaches: As graduate students, Clinical Interns are immersed in the latest research, clinical interventions, and best practices in the mental health field. This allows them to bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to therapy.
- Extensive Supervision and Support: Clinical Interns receive significantly more supervision than many practicing therapists. At Inspire, interns receive supervision through their graduate programs, as well as weekly individual and group supervision from experienced clinicians. This means multiple professionals are invested in supporting your progress and ensuring high-quality care.
- Passion and Commitment: Clinical Interns are often highly motivated, eager to learn, and deeply invested in helping clients achieve meaningful growth and positive outcomes.
- Collaborative Care: Because of their close supervision and training environment, Clinical Interns frequently benefit from additional consultation and feedback, providing clients with the advantage of multiple clinical perspectives.
- Diverse Life and Professional Experience: Many of our Clinical Interns come from established careers and bring years—even decades—of experience in business, education, healthcare, parenting, leadership, and other professions. This real-world perspective can deepen their understanding of life’s complexities and challenges.
- Excellent Client Outcomes: Research consistently demonstrates that Clinical Interns achieve strong therapeutic outcomes, often comparable to those of licensed clinicians when supported by quality supervision and training.
At Inspire, we are highly selective in choosing our Clinical Interns. Each intern undergoes a thorough review and interview process before joining our team. We seek individuals who demonstrate exceptional clinical potential, align with our values, and are interested in building a long-term career with Inspire. Many of our interns continue with Inspire well beyond their internship experience.