Melissa is a California-licensed and ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist and the founder of SoulSpeak Speech Therapy. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Sacramento State.

Melissa has supported children and families in clinic settings, schools, and via teletherapy, working with a wide range of speech and language needs, including expressive and receptive language delays, articulation and phonological disorders, autism-related communication profiles, early language development, stuttering, voice, and neurologically based communication challenges.

She has a special passion for working with emerging communicators, children who communicate without speaking yet, use only a few words, or are developing early language skills. She strives to support families in understanding and connecting with their child’s communication style. Her approach is neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based, and grounded in honoring each child’s unique ways of engaging and expressing themselves.