About Melanie

I first felt a call to the counseling field during high school, with a desire for purpose and helping others.  I earned my BA in Psychology at UC Santa Cruz, and then graduated with my MA in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 2009. I was especially drawn to the holistic program, and a therapeutic approach that sees the Whole You, not just how you might fit into any particular textbook theory.

I began seeing clients in 2008 and fell in love  watching my clients blossom out of stressful situations through our work together. While I was promoted to Clinical Director at Almaden Valley Counseling Service, I ultimately felt the need to focus my time on serving clients directly, and invested my energy full time in Private Practice. I continue to study and grow my clinical knowledge, both out of pure interest in learning new material and improving my skills in helping my clients.

I have a special interest in assisting the process of Divorce Recovery, and in addition to counseling, I offer periodic workshops on to aid in the healing process, including educating other counselors on how to best support this growing demographic.

When not counseling, I play ice hockey and run, do logic puzzles,  and spending time with loved ones. I am dedicated to my own personal growth and constant transformation.

Further Education and Training
  • ACE Certified Health Coach
  • Professional Training in the Hakomi Method: Mindfulness-Based Experiential Psychotherapy
  • Advanced Professional Training in the Hakomi Method
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  • Applying DBT for Client Wellness and Recovery
  • Divorce Options
  • From Divorce Talk to Solution Talk: Solution Focused Brief Therapy with the Most Trying of Couples Sessions
  • Working with High Conflict Couples in Divorce and Custody Situations
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Forgive for Good
  • Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: The Science of Love and Bonding
  • Creative Ways of Working with Trauma
  • Gender Affirmative Therapy and Trans Clients
  • Therapeutic Goals for Adolescents in Crisis
  • Cyber Society:  The Perils and Pitfalls of a Wired Culture
  • Online Compulsivity
  • Introduction to Clinical Hypnosis
  • Core Elements in Responding to Mental Health Crises
  • Yin Yoga Teacher Training
  • Moto-Ki Healing Level 1 Certification
Authorships
  • Final Integrative Project: The Work of Life’s Un-grieved Losses
  • My blog articles

 

Professional Associations and Memberships
Community Involvement
  • Divorce Recovery presenter (Continuing Education Provider)
  • Unstoppable Women of Silicon Valley Member
  • Team in Training participant and fundraiser for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
  • Start! Training participant and fundraiser for the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association
  • Breathe California fundraiser
  • Synesthesia research contributor, UC Berkeley and others
  • Synesthesia discussion speaker, Santa Cruz Public Library
  • Thrive The Way You Are Member
  • Mentor, UC Santa Cruz, Stevenson College