Get to know Melissa

As a lifelong military dependent (Air Force kid and Navy wife), I've traveled the world and lived in 17 different cities.  While I always looked at each move as a new adventure, it also brought loss, change, and new challenges that I didn't always know how to handle.  During my teenage years, I felt hopeless, worthless and thought about suicide.  When I was 20 years old, I was diagnosed with Major Depression and sought counseling for the first time.  I learned that in addition to some distorted thinking, my beliefs about God were contributing to my pain and feelings of hopelessness.  Through a gifted therapist, who was also clergy, I was able to begin rebuilding my faith while finding mental and emotional healing.  After this experience, and several others, I changed my major and knew I wanted to help people find mental, emotional and spiritual healing and live into the person God created them to be.

 

I decided to go to seminary to get a better understanding of different faiths so that I could better help people like me; whether you were harmed by religion, or want your faith included in your therapeutic journey.  I'm a United Methodist pastor, but I attended a multi-religious seminary and have a history of inter-religious work, so regardless of which religion you practice or if you don't practice any, I can help you find wholeness.

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I've been married to my husband for over 25 years, have two amazing adult daughters and four pets that I love to snuggle (2 dogs and 2 cats).  I'm passionate about social justice and celebrating the value of all people.  I've never met someone I haven't learned something from and I hope you'll allow me to journey with you through all of life's ups and downs.