Bachelor in Social Sciences with an honours minor in Youth Care, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Registered with the Association of Educationalists in the Netherlands (NVO)
Melissa obtained her Master of Science in Clinical Child, Family, and Educational Studies from the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands). Her degree included modules such as developmental psychopathology of children and adolescents, interactive patterns in families and parenting problems, psychology, diagnostics, and fundamentals of treatment, interventions and counselling. Melissa has five years of experience working in multiple health care institutions. These include residential care for adolescents, treatment-groups for toddlers with Specific Language Impairment (SLI), and ambulatory care for families with multiple and complex problems.
She has worked with children and youth with various vulnerabilities and issues such as Anxiety, Depression, Low Self-Worth and Self-Esteem, Trauma, Anger, Addiction, Self-Harm, Attachment Problems, and Intellectual Disabilities. She has also worked with families to improve Parenting Skills and work through Parenting Problems.
She guides children, adolescents and their families with their personal goals through counselling, interventions and advice. She uses techniques from different evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Positive Psychology, Family Systems Therapy, Play Therapy and Mindfulness. She is also trained in conducting assessments relating to social, emotional and cognitive development of children and adolescents.
Melissa works with a positive mind-set and humour while adopting a culturally sensitive approach. She believes that creating a safe and reliable space is important for strengthening the therapeutic alliance with her clients and working through their troubles. She aims to contribute to the personal growth of her clients and the systems surrounding them, as well as helping them function to their own optimum potential.
