Melissa is based in Brisbane and has worked in the mental health and suicide prevention fields for the past 12 years as a clinician, group and workshop facilitator and senior supervisor supporting children, adolescents, adults and families across diverse contexts including: corrections, non-government organisations, schools, private practice, and inpatient/outpatient hospital settings.

Melissa’s work is guided by a trauma informed practice. Her approach as a clinician and as a supervisor is strengths based and person centered and she brings warmth and empathy to her work. Melissa values that people are the experts in their own lives and aims to work collaboratively with clients and their families/key support people, drawing on various evidence based approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Trauma-Informed CBT.

Melissa has also worked in a regional suicide prevention commissioning role, collaborating with stakeholders and people with a lived experience of suicide to co-design and implement services as part of the National Suicide Prevention Trial; co-design and implement a trial follow-up suicide prevention service; and provided leadership for a strategic partnership group to co-design a Regional Suicide Prevention Plan.

In 2021 Melissa completed the 4 day ‘Train-the-Trainer’ program for the STARS Protocol training: Systematic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality, through the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP).

Currently, Melissa is passionate about facilitating hospital inpatient and outpatient eating disorder group therapy programs; co-facilitating AISRAP STARS Protocol training; providing suicide prevention specific supervision through SRAA, and supporting provisional psychologists as a Board Approved Supervisor.

Accreditation/Certifications

• Registered Psychologist
• AHPRA Board Approved Supervisor (Psychology)
• Completion of AISRAP, Griffith STARS ‘Train-the-Trainer’ program

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
• Dual Degree: Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Bachelor of Business Management