Melissa

Melissa is a dual board certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).  Born and raised in the fast-paced area of Northern Virginia, Melissa relocated to Hampton Roads for higher education after high school. In 2006 she earned her Bachelors in Psychology from Christopher Newport University, and her Diploma in Nursing from Sentara School of Health Professions in Chesapeake, Virginia in 2011, which allowed her to work as RN in hospital setting.  Over the next 10 years, Melissa worked as a Registered Nurse in local hospitals and correctional facilities.  While working in the high acuity adult psychiatric unit of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Melissa earned her Bachelors of Nursing from Chamberlain University in 2017. During the pandemic, she applied and was accepted into graduate school at the same school she previously attended Chamberlain University, earning her Masters degree in Family Nurse Practitioner in 2021, and then Board certified Post-Masters Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in November 2024.

Melissa believes in a comprehensive mind-body approach to psychiatric mental health care.  She follows a holistic, patient-centered process incorporating exercise, supplements, mindfulness, therapy, and various lifestyle changes into treatment plans. Her philosophy of practice is through being open-minded, direct, empathetic, and thoughtful in her approach. She provides care to clients across the entire lifespan for various conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, thought disorders, ADHD, and PTSD.

Nowadays, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and family with DIY projects, traveling, watching television shows, and beaching. She is mother of two, and stepmom to two.