Melissa Wills, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Wills, grew up in Minnesota, where she earned her degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. While in her master’s of counseling program at the University of St. Mary’s, Dr. Wills worked as a YMCA camp counselor, which further developed her passion for creating positive growth experiences for children through play and creativity.
Through a practicum opportunity, Dr. Wills was exposed to working with young children with autism and their parents. This inspired her research exploring a multi-perspective approach to the treatment of autism in early childhood. As a doctoral student at the University of St. Thomas, Dr. Wills remained deeply motivated to provide quality mental health care to children, adolescents, and their families. This passion led her to explore how child and parent perspectives on therapy influence therapy attrition rates, with the goal of improving engagement and outcomes for her clients.
Dr. Wills gained clinical experience at a residential treatment center, outpatient clinics, a day treatment program, and a juvenile correctional center. Through these experiences, she has worked with a wide range of clinical concerns across different levels of severity, allowing her to develop a variety of clinical skills both in conducting psychological evaluations and providing individual and family therapy. Dr. Wills has specialized training in play therapy, trauma, attachment, autism spectrum disorders, and behavioral disorders. She strives to create a safe and nurturing environment where she will guide children, teens, and young adults through life's challenges, foster resilience, and promote emotional well-being.
In your therapy journey with Dr. Wills, she will utilize a client-centered cognitive-behavioral approach, aiming to understand the unique struggles the young person is experiencing. She will then develop an individualized treatment plan using both evidence-based and creative, client-centered interventions to promote emotional well-being, resilience, and healthy development. She views parents as experts about their children, making them a critical part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Wills believes that, with a nurturing and nonjudgmental approach combined with knowledge, skill development, and creativity, children, adolescents, and young adults can thrive and become their healthiest selves.