Melissa Wyman - LMFT, LPCC

Hello and welcome! I’m Melissa, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Professional Clinical Counselor serving teens and adults in California. Besides being a therapist, I am a passionate advocate at the intersection of art, empowerment, and mental health.

MY APPROACH

I believe in the power of an authentic therapeutic relationship. I show up as a real person with tools and experience to work with you on cultivating the life you want to live. My clients come from diverse family formations and community cultures.

I embrace the opportunity to work with neurodivergent individuals, LGBTQIA+ folks, and creatives (or the creatively curious) of all kinds. My therapy practice is grounded in integrative Somatic Psychotherapy, Multicultural Attachment-Based Family Systems, Narrative, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and expressive arts. In our sessions, we can use evidence-based techniques with a holistic body-mind focus, as well as creative tools and expressions, depending on what resonates with our work together.

I hold an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Palo Alto University, complemented by specialized training in strength-based trauma treatment and somatic psychotherapies such as applied Polyvagal Theory and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, as well as extensive experience with play and expressive art techniques.

My path to becoming a therapist intertwines with a background in expressive arts as an educator and visual artist. An MFA in Social Practice in the Arts from the California College of the Arts led to subsequent years devoted to arts, arts education, and community engagement. This work incorporated youth and human rights advocacy, as well as teaching trauma-informed self-defense and art empowerment through creative expression. Interacting with others in these spaces enriched my understanding of neurodiversity and creativity’s potent strengths within both personal and communal spheres. In addition, over six years of participation in a parent education program laid the foundation for subsequent therapeutic family support. Working with people from different countries (including Japan, Chile, South Korea, and New Zealand), communities, and walks of life has been humbling and inspirational, leading me to return to school to pursue an education in psychology and counseling.

Drawing from my own lived experience with neurodivergence, parenting, life transitions, and recovery from burnout and sports-related injuries, I advocate for self-care within one’s passion and capacity. Infusing my work with creativity, empathy, and genuine enthusiasm for mental health and advocacy, I leverage a therapy toolkit honed through years of trauma-informed and somatic-focused psychology. My decades-long practice of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, art, and cross-cultural communication imbues me with diverse perspectives, enriching the growth possibilities I can facilitate with and for my clients.