Melissa McGinnis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  Melissa holds a Master’s of Social Work degree from Michigan State University.  She also earned a Bachelor’s of Social Work with a Minor in US Multicultural Relations from Ferris State University.

Melissa is experienced in medical and mental health.  She is a Certified Integrative Mental Health Provider and specializes in helping individuals with chronic disease that result from years of unhealthy lifestyle choices, genetic factors and stress.  Melissa has over 20 years of experience working from a multidisciplinary approach in both an acute and clinic-based hospital setting.  She sees the importance of integrating various aspects of the biopsychosocial model when it comes to the treatment process.  This includes but not limited to physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual health.

Melissa enjoys working with individuals from early adulthood to late adulthood.  She is also experienced in helping individuals with mood disorders, anxiety, women’s health, parenthood, couples issues as well as common life stressors and transitions.  Melissa believes that every person and situation is different.  She believes that understanding where one is coming from and where one wants to go is the main priority.  Melissa’s approach is strength based, collaborative and is shaped to meet the needs of each client.

Eating Disorders | Trauma | Anxiety | Depression | Stress Management

Healing Hearts provides grief and trauma-informed therapists who are passionate that healing happens as we care for the mind, body, and soul. We believe strongly in the human capacity for healing and the ability to live in freedom. When we experience trauma, loss, or difficult life circumstances, we can find ourselves stuck in unhealthy patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that can cause negative self-beliefs, emotional disturbance, and somatic responses in the body that can be self-destructive and wounding. There is hope! And you are not alone. Our therapists are trauma-informed and specialize in EMDR, grief, and other trauma modalities. We would love to walk alongside you as you heal and learn to live your fullest life!

– Individual therapy for NJ residents

– Virtual support group for mothers who are pregnant after the loss of a child ages 9 months and older.

– Peer-to-peer program called COPE (Connecting Our Personal Experiences).  COPE matches newly bereaved parents to those further out in their loss for guidance and support.  This is a free program for bereaved parents sponsored by the nonprofit Love From Lydia, which I started in memory of my daughter.  We are also looking for volunteers so if you are a bereaved parent at least one year out from the loss of your child and want to help others within our community, please consider submitting a volunteer application.  Both the newly bereaved parent referral and volunteer application can be found at http://lovefromlydia.com/cope

1:1 Equine Assisted Counselling

1:1 Equine Assisted Grief Counselling

1:1 Grief & Trauma Counselling

Anticipatory Grief Support

Clinics & Retreats

Equine Experiences – Reiki, Meditation

Residential STA