Meet Melissa

Melissa is a registered social worker with 20 years of experience supporting the mental health and well-being of children, youth, and families across a variety of community and education settings. She is passionate about supporting families as they navigate a range of social, emotional, and behavioural challenges, including difficulties with emotion regulation, parent-child relationships, bedtime and sleep, and other concerns that can arise within families. She has a particular focus on working with parents of children and youth experiencing anxiety, helping parents better understand their child’s experiences and develop supportive ways of responding that strengthen connection, build confidence, and reduce the impact of anxiety on the child and family.

As a parent herself, Melissa understands the joys and challenges of parenting. She brings a warm, non-judgmental, and collaborative style to her practice and strives to create a space where clients feel heard, understood, and supported. Drawing from a range of evidence-informed intervention approaches, Melissa tailors her work to each family’s unique strengths and needs to support meaningful and sustainable change.

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Areas of Treatment

 

  • Anxiety

  • Behaviour concerns

  • Emotion regulation challenges

  • Parenting challenges

  • Bedtime and sleep difficulties in young children

 

Techniques Used

  • Emotion Focused Family Therapy

  • Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)

  • Parent/Caregiver Coaching

  • Psychoeducation

  • Dr. Neufeld’s Attachment-Based Developmental Approach

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Education

  • Master of Social Work – McGill University

  • Bachelor of Education (Primary/Junior) – Trent University

  • Bachelor of Social Work – McMaster University

Certifications

  • Emotion-Focused Family Therapy

  • Sleep and Well-Being Specialist – Infant/Early Childhood

  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) – Trainer Status

  • Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT)

Professional Associations

  • Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW)

  • Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW)

  • Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)