A Greeting from Dr. Melissa | she/her
Registered ​Psychologist.
​Owner/Director.
Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School Lead Faculty.

Hello, I am Melissa!

As a registered psychologist, assistant professor, yoga teacher & lifelong learner, I love empowering people to live fully.
​
My Mission: To empower compassionate souls to love themselves unconditionally.

I have earned my Ph.D., Master of Counselling, & Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. With a keen interest in mindfulness, authenticity, well-being & relationships, I believe that in order to care for others, we must first take good care of ourselves. 

From a nurturing attachment-based and trauma-informed approach, I aim to provide support as we discuss the importance of love, mindfulness, hope, joy, curiosity, self-compassion, purpose as well as the barriers to connection: worry, guilt, sadness, hurt, fear, stress, & overwhelm. Drawing on an integrative & client-centred approach to counselling, I offer individual, family & couples counselling and am the creator of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School, and offer Yoga Psychology offerings. 

In 2014, Michael and I opened Canmore Counselling with the intention of supporting the Bow Valley with a nurturing private counselling practice dedicated to supporting self-inquiry, personal development, and mind-body-spirit-heart integration. Dr. Amélie, Carolyn, Anissa & Nicki joined as part of our counselling team because they are amazing, compassionate, and dedicated to destigmitizing trauma-informed care & healing integrating yoga & psychology from an attachment-based lens.  Alex joined us as the coordinator of Canmore Counselling in 2020 & support me with all of the behind the scenes. Most recently we are thrilled to expand services to include virtual physiotherapy with Kalli and Ayurvedic medicine & nutrition with Simmi.

As a team, we are advocates for community care & are dedicated to supporting you in connecting with helping professionals that fit for you, whether at Canmore Counselling or elsewhere. You so deserve it. ​

In 2019, we opened the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School which is dedicated to supporting deep personal growth and Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology education to support budding and well-established yoga teachers and their communities. This passion project has offered me an opportunity to work alongside some of my favourite people, who have joined us as faculty, and connect with some of my new favourite people, our students. #grateful

My mantra for many years has been: Be who you needed when you were younger, and it through my yoga psychology studentship that I deepen my connection to myself and lead from my heart. As an Indigenous woman and the National Indigenous Director of the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association, I believe we can all advocate for equity by cultivating relationships and learning from others. I am deeply dedicated to my own personal development as a way to support myself and those I walk alongside. I have my own counsellor, am continuing my yoga studentship & am enrolled in a yoga teacher trianing, and I have the privilege to learn from Elders/Knowledge Keepers.  

Looking forward to connecting with you!

With goodness,  
Melissa | she/her
Models & Theories I Integrate:
Attachment-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Theories
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Solution-Focused Therapy
Body Awareness
Yoga Philosophy 
Trauma Center's Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY-F)
I work with:
Individuals
Families
Kids & Teens
​Couples
Yoga Students
Supervisees
School Staff & Students
Buisnesses & Associations