Melissa, or Mel (she/her), loves talking about food, whether its cooking, growing fresh produce, or understanding how it affects people’s health, and is compassionate in helping people to understand their relationship with food. Knowing how complicated food choices can be, she practices non-judgementally and inclusively with client’s wants and needs. She is trained in Motivational Interviewing behavioral therapy, which focuses on a patient-centered approach to treatment, as well as the Non-Diet Approach, emphasizing body-size neutrality, healthy habits, mindful eating, and self-compassion.

Outside of Balance North, she has worked in several areas of research, including the effects of the Mediterranean diet and exercise on cognitive function in an elderly population, as well as exploring the benefits of having access to a regenerative farm on your gut microbiome in secondary school students. She hopes she is able to further explore and practice in these areas of mental health and the gut microbiome through the nutrition lens.