Melissa Stokes, AASW, AHPRA

Taking the first step to reach out often requires courage, and Melissa Stokes brings a steady, experienced presence to that beginning. With 25 years of professional experience in mental health, she practices as a psychologist and an accredited mental health social worker, holding AASW membership and registration with AHPRA - the Australian Association of Social Workers and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency respectively. Her approach blends compassion with evidence-based methods to help people navigate a wide range of life and mental health challenges.

Melissa's career has spanned many clinical settings, including work in domestic violence services, child, adolescent and adult community mental health, youth justice, rape and sexual assault services, hospitals, and both public and private practice. She draws on training in multiple therapeutic modalities such as cognitive behavioral approaches, trauma-focused therapies, dialectical behavior strategies, acceptance and commitment techniques, emotionally focused interventions, interpersonal therapy, motivational interviewing, and EMDR, alongside psychoeducation and skills training designed to reduce distress and support wellbeing.

Committed to inclusive practice, Melissa is welcoming of all genders, cultures, and sexual identities and takes an integrative, person-centered stance that considers attachment, strengths, and individual goals when tailoring treatment. She also contributes to the field through supervision and mentoring for students and fellow professionals, and has been involved in research, including projects at the Research and Education Unit for Gendered Violence and a thesis examining online mindfulness users and their motivations. Outside of her professional life she enjoys hiking, foraging, music, board games, cooking, yoga, comedy, time with her dogs, exploring gardens, and spending time in nature and with others.