Registered Occupational Therapist

Approved Mental Health Provider

Approved FaHCSIA Provider

Ba.App.Sci(OT), Ma.App.Sci(OT)

Melissa practises as a developmental paediatric, adolescent, adult and mental health Occupational Therapist. She provides full developmental and functional assessments, assessing and treating gross/fine motor co-ordination skills, handwriting, sensory processing, and social-emotional functioning. Assessment may include comprehensive written reports with clear and practical recommendations and strategies for home, school, university and/or work. Melissa provides regular educational consultations and training, and liaises closely with educational facilities. Melissa has a special and longstanding interest in working with children, adolescents and adults with High Functioning Autism. She is part of the Developmental Assessment Team at Crisalida, assessing and treating children/adolescents/adults, and working closely with Psychologists and Speech Pathologists at Crisalida, as well as external community referrers/team.

In addition, Melissa is registered with Medicare as a Mental Health Provider. She provides child and adolescent counselling for 4-50 year olds who are struggling socially, emotionally and/or behaviourally; or who present with mild to significant anxiety, depression, stress, attention deficit disorder, poor emotional regulation and/or other mental health difficulties. Melissa also provides specific therapy/ psychoeducation to parents and siblings or partners as required, and will offer some relational support work as part of this.

Therapy sessions are developmentally and family sensitive, and provide a safe space to explore issues verbally and/or through play; to explore and practice alternative options for social, behavioural and emotional self-regulation; to improve self-esteem and self-confidence in relevant areas (eg. handwriting, sports skills, social skills, attentional/ organisational skills, emotional/behavioural regulation skills, workplace or study skills and confidence). Melissa co-facilitates regular Group Therapy sessions with other therapists in the Crisalida team – she believes groups such as our friendship groups, are a powerful way of facilitating growth and change.