Melissa (she/her) a trauma-informed mindfulness, meditation and yoga teacher who also a clinical psychologist and international trauma educator. She is a holistic wellness coach, and co-founder of a therapy practice specializing in complex trauma, grief, and loss. Her work draws upon Ayurvedic Medicine, Buddhist Psychology, and Yoga Philosophy.
Melissa has nearly 20 years of experience working with survivors of various kinds of trauma, including those who have been marginalized or harmed due to some aspect of their identity like gender, race, ethnicity, neurodiversity, visible and invisible disabilities, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and religion. She also works with people who have experienced institutional trauma and betrayal in settings such as health care systems, the workplace, boarding schools, and universities.
Melissa received her doctorate from the University of Oregon and completed fellowships at Yale University School of Medicine and the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. She has held academic appointments at Harvard University and Boston University and has served in several national-level positions with healthcare organizations focused on women’s mental health, sexual trauma, and trauma-informed care. She frequently consults with professionals who have experienced trauma, grief, and loss in the course of their work and is deeply committed to working with people in service professions including teachers, medical and mental health professionals, climate and social justice activists and environmental conservationists.
Melissa has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and educational products in the area of trauma and recovery, and has trained thousands of professionals. To learn more about Melissa, visit: www.melissafoynes.com and https://openedhearttherapy.com/. You can also find Melissa on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drfoynes/) and her podcast, The Science and Soul of Living Well.
Image Description: Headshot of Melissa, a person with brown skin looking at the camera with a big smile in front of a blurred outdoor background. Melissa is wearing big triangular earnings and a blue sweater layered over a white top. Her hair is short, straight, and dark brown, and is shaved on the sides like an undercut, and the top hair drapes across her forehead like side bangs.