Melissa Rodriguez
Melissa Rodriguez, MS, NCC (She/Her) is a licensed, bilingual Clinical Mental Health Counselor providing virtual individual therapy to adults through her work with Sanare Counseling. With 16 years of experience in the mental health field, she has built a career centered on culturally responsive, trauma-informed care for underserved communities. Currently rebranding her practice and partnering with a colleague to expand services, training, and clinical models, Melissa remains committed to increasing access to high-quality, culturally attuned mental health support.
Melissa specializes in trauma—including immigration-related trauma, refugee experiences, survivors of trafficking, sexual-abuse survivors, and complex trauma—as well as grief and the psychological aspects of chronic illness. Her clinical approach emphasizes the cultural adaptation of evidence-based modalities such as EMDR, TF-CBT, CBT, CPT, DBT, and Gottman Therapy, grounded in a human-rights–centered framework. She believes healing begins with a strong therapeutic alliance and is guided by core values of humility, empathy, and advocacy, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations.
Throughout her career, Melissa has served in diverse and impactful roles, including outpatient bilingual trauma clinician, Clinical Team Supervisor and clinical director for a transitional foster-care program supporting unaccompanied minors, and leadership positions within community mental health and Tobacco Quitline services. She has extensive experience working with Latinx populations and refugees, historically providing trauma-focused CBT to children and adolescents and now concentrating her practice on adults and refugee communities. Melissa holds a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Jackson State University and is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), bringing depth, cultural competence, and steadfast advocacy to her work.
• National Certified Counselor (NCC)
• Jackson State University - MS, Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
• Universidad Central de Bayamón - MA, Special Education and Teaching
• Universidad de Puerto Rico - BA, Psych
• Bethany Christian Services
• Catholic Charities
• Solomon Counseling Center
What do you attribute your success to?
Her lived experience with chronic illness and the capacity to hold clients' stories through adversity—combined with bilingual skills and sustained service to immigrant and refugee communities—give her work meaning and have been central to her impact.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"Leave your ego at the door." You will never stop learning; the therapeutic alliance and empathy are more important than mastery of every modality.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Leave your ego at the door; never stop learning. Prioritize therapeutic alliance and empathy over trying to appear as if you already know everything.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Biggest challenges: under-resourced systems for immigrant/refugee mental health; bilingual clinicians are stretched across therapeutic and practical advocacy roles. Opportunities: adapting mainstream therapeutic modalities culturally and increasing visibility and access for underserved populations.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Therapeutic alliance, humility (leave your ego at the door), empathy, cultural humility/adaptation, and human-rights–centered advocacy.