Melissa Villamejor
she/her

​www.familytreewellness.org/melissa | [email protected] | 408-393-1147

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Title: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Languages Spoken: English
​​Affiliations: Family Tree Wellness Center

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​I believe at our core that we are all capable of living as our most authentic selves. I aim to create a nurturing and safe environment to work alongside you and remind you of who that authentic person is. My approach is warm, accepting, and non-judgmental, where you can bring all of who you are to feel seen, heard, and valued. As a second generation Filipina,  I understand the stigma that mental health can hold. I know from firsthand experience, however, ​the effectiveness
​​that therapy can have as a healing tool when we embrace our vulnerability. In our work together, emotions will be normalized and our healing journey can begin.​

Being born and raised in the Bay Area I was fortunate to grow up with others who looked like me. When I entered the field of mental health though, I realized how alone I felt and how little representation there was of people of color, specifically Asian Americans and Filipinos. My hope as a Filipina therapist is to create a voice for our community and hold space for others who look like me to heal and lessen the stigma that mental health may hold. For a long time I never prioritized my mental health and never found it valuable to my well-being until I transitioned to motherhood and had my own struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety. I learned early on that I had to be strong and not burden others with my problems or it would bring shame. It’s so important to normalize mental health and wellbeing in our Filipinx community because it means survival and we need to tend to and heal ourselves in order to fully serve and love those around us.

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What does "mental health" mean to you? Why is it important for us as Filipinxs/Filipinx Americans to normalize discussions around wellness and mental health in our community?

For a long time I never prioritized my mental health and never found it valuable to my well-being until I transitioned to motherhood and had my own struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety. I learned early on that I had to be strong and not burden others with my problems or it would bring shame. It’s so important to normalize mental health and wellbeing in our Filipinx community because it means survival and we need to tend to and heal ourselves in order to fully serve and love those around us.