Meet Melissa
Hi, I'm Melissa!
I help creatives and women of color understand themselves and others better, achieve a higher quality of life, and level up, both personally and professionally.
I love helping my clients move from feelings of fear, self-doubt, and hopelessness to power and self-love. Together we’ll identify your goals, then, at your own pace, we'll go deep to investigate conscious and unconscious patterns of behavior and ways of thinking that may be keeping you stuck.
We will work together to discover more about who you really are within a nurturing and safe environment. Also, I believe finding happiness in life is important, so even as we dig in and do the hard work, I’ll infuse our sessions with playfulness and humor. Additionally, I will bring a genuine enthusiasm, and empathic realness to our work because I am motivated to see you evolve, grow, and live abundantly. In short, I want to see you win!
I believe dreams can come true, but first you must love yourself. I’m honored to help facilitate the growth required to do that. With this in mind, self-advocacy and self-esteem, spirituality, law of attraction and mindfulness will play a significant role in the work we’ll do.
work with me
On a more personal end...
I am a biracial West African and Western European cisgender woman. I am a self-identified pop culture nerd and self-care enthusiast, hailing from the south side of Chicago. I was raised Christian and am currently a non-church going believer in God and universe. I have toured globally as a solo recording artist and have collaborated with Kanye West, Pharrell, Jungle, and producer Inflo. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Marriage and Family Therpy at the University of Louisiana. Additionally, I hold a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University where my research focused on counselor anti-racist social justice advocacy and activism.
I have also received spiritually integrated psychotherapy training from the ACPE. Currently, my favorite things to do outside of coaching and therapy are recording new music and attempting fancy recipes from NYT cooking and Instagram with my partner, Luke. My favorite author is sci-fi writer, Octavia E. Butler, and some of my favorite musical acts include: Rotary Connection, Sade, Henry Mancini, The Lijadu Sisters, The Clark Sisters, Lonnie Liston Smith, Prince, Phony Ppl, as well as almost all 90’s RnB. Finally, I believe God has an intention for each of our lives, honesty is the highest form of respect, and kindness should be our default, always.
Let's work together
are you ready?
Many artists and women of color struggle with not feeling enough. Usually this is rooted in needs around self-esteem. I will teach you the emotional regulation techniques and confidence needed to overcome your fears and thrive, and I’ll support your career aspirations too! Many therapists lack this expertise, but with two decades of professional experience in music and film, I know the language, nuances, and strategies necessary to achieve your goals.
