From the Desk of Dr. Melanie

The Stories That Shape Us—and How We Redefine Resilience I’ve learned that the stories we tell—especially the honest ones—can heal, connect, and lead us toward purpose. For years, I’ve poured into my work, my family, and my community—often at the expense of my own rest. Like many of you, I believed resilience meant pushing through, showing up, and staying strong no matter what. But what I’ve learned—through loss, leadership, and life itself—is that resilience isn’t built by c

When my doctoral classmates circled the virtual room sharing their project ideas, I held back until the end. I listened closely as they...

When Rest Becomes Stress: What a 20th Anniversary European Vacation Taught Me About Mental Health, Marriage, and Policy What was supposed...

The question itself wasn’t unusual. The tone was what caught me off guard: “You have student loans?” We were on break during a payments...