Let Me Hold Space For You

MY LIFE’S CURRICULUM IS MY MOST HONORED CREDENTIAL.

HI, I'M MELISSA

I was under the belief I was not intelligent until my mid-twenties. Like many of my clients, it turns out my history of trauma meant my brain was not working to its potential. A lifetime of survival mode wreaked havoc on my mind and body. Back pain, anxiety, gastrointestinal distress, and depression waged war on my life, and often through thought and action, I waged war on myself.

Like most of us, I believed getting healthier meant diet and exercise, so I became a Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist. I helped hundreds of clients lose physical weight. I later realized it was the symbolic weight they could shed within a safe space that led to the biggest, most lasting transformations.

WHILE MY PHYSICAL BODY CHANGED, THE PAIN REMAINED, GASTROINTESTINAL DISTRESS BEGAN, AND THE INTERNAL WAR WAGED BY DIET CULTURE FESTERED.

In 2015, my son Cannon was born. I saw the world—and myself—in a different light. It was as if the callouses on my heart had been rubbed raw. I knew I had to do something about the internal wars I had been fighting. With a C-PTSD diagnosis and work in both traditional and complementary therapies, as well as a certification in yoga therapy and Asian bodywork, I began to heal in a way that was beyond intellectual understanding.

CREDENTIALS

Licensed Social Worker
MSW
Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy
200+ Hour Professional Certificate of Personal Training
200+ Hour Registered Yoga Teacher
300 Hour Yoga Therapy
300 Hour Yoga Psychology
Applied Polyvagal Theory
100 Hour Certified Meditation Teacher
Certified Holistic Lifestyle Coach
Trained Doula
Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist
Asian Bodywork & Yoga Therapy with The Lotus Way

I learned that intellect is not the appropriate vehicle for healing.

I dedicated myself to understanding how the body stores trauma and how it can also hold the key to its release. My formal education includes a Master’s in Social Work and certifications in neuroscience, trauma healing, and somatic therapy, giving me the tools to guide others through deep, transformative healing. From my own experience, I know that true healing starts from the inside out. When we reconnect with our bodies and find safety within, the mind can begin to process and rewire old wounds.

In the work I do, I create a safe space for nervous system regulation, somatic healing, and parts work. We don’t try to force ourselves into a rigid healing framework. Instead, we focus on integrating these practices into everyday life—taking small, manageable steps that can be repeated often. This approach allows us to gradually shift our nervous system, release stored trauma, and foster healing in a way that feels natural and sustainable. It’s about embedding these practices into your routine, so healing happens alongside your life—not apart from it.

A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME, OFTEN.

Through my own journey, I’ve learned that healing isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about becoming aware of our inner world, befriending the parts of ourselves we’ve pushed away, and creating safety within ourselves. It’s about shedding the weight of old wounds and integrating healing into our daily lives—one small, intentional step at a time.

The answers aren’t outside of you. They’re within. As you become more connected with yourself and embrace the parts of you that have survived, you begin to heal, grow, and step into a life that feels truly aligned and fulfilling.

I WOULD LOVE TO HOLD A SAFE SPACE WITH YOU, AS YOU ARE.

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