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Melissa Grisi, LCSW|EMDR Certified Therapist

@the_desert_therapist

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🪷EMDR Certified Therapist & Approved Consultant✨
🌞 Therapy for Gen X & Millennial women 🌵
🦋 Somatic EMDR Intensives in the 💖 of Joshua Tree🌈
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Hi everyone! I thought I might re-introduce myself as I’ve got some new folks visiting this page. Here I am engaging in self-care in one of my most favorite ways: hiking in Joshua Tree National Park.🤗 My name is Melissa and I am the owner and founder of Blue Sky Therapy. Located in Joshua Tree, CA, Blue Sky Therapy is a holistic, trauma-informed psychotherapy practice offering a creative menu of mental health care.🌞 I specialize in trauma/complex trauma, anxiety and addiction. I am an EMDR Certified Therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC), Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY-F) and somatic therapist offering yoga and Somatic Experiencing. I also integrate Parts Work utilizing an IFS lens. In addition, I am trained in DBT, CBT, MI and Gottman Couples Method which, when helpful and appropriate, I sprinkle these modalities into sessions. I am a full-time resident of the High Desert (celebrating a decade of living here!) and deeply connected to this community in a variety of ways; through my art making, volunteer work, activism and most importantly, through my relationships. I am more than just a social worker and therapist! I am also a clay artist, desert lover, Jersey girl, Deadhead, Taurus, student of life, childfree by choice, Eldest Daughter, Gen Xer, cactus gardener, cat AND dog lover and much more☺️ Folks have described me as: Compassionate, wise, attuned, gentle, supportive, intuitive, creative, fun, imaginative, embodied, solid, rooted, confident, natural, warm, attentive, curious, and relational. I look forward to seeing you in this beautiful community someday soon!🩵 #joshuatree #joshuatreenationalpark #twentyninepalms #yuccavalley #pioneertown #mojavedesert #palmsprings #morongovalley #wondervalley #traumatherapy #traumatherapist #emdr #emdrtherapy #emdrtherapist #somatichealing #somatic #somaticexperiencing #traumainformed #traumainformedcare #traumainformedyoga #traumasensitiveyoga #naturetherapy #arttherapy #emdrintensive #therapyintensive #retreat #recoveryispossible by @the_desert_therapist
This or that: Therapist Retreat Edition In person or virtual? Coffee or tea? Sun or shade? Morning yoga or morning zen? Drink water during session or not? This one is not actually a question. Please take care of your human body. 😂💧 What are your this-or-thats? @creativelyclinical @find.balance.with.monica @the_desert_therapist @victoriashorewellness @zeruahreedomlmft @lifes_journey_cc @badmamarunna 🧘🏻‍♀️Already missing @gaiavillajoshuatree #therapistsofinstagram #thisorthat #retreat #joshuatree by @the_desert_therapist
What does community actually look like? Sometimes it looks like sunrise reflection, making art, learning together, pool time, and eventually a dance party. ☀️🎨 Day 3 of The Rooted in Connection Retreat was full of creativity, learning, sunshine, conversations, community time, and a whole lot of play. @creativelyclinical @find.balance.with.monica @the_desert_therapist @victoriashorewellness @zeruahreedomlmft @lifes_journey_cc By Day 3, the “hi, nice to meet you” from the first night had turned into inside jokes, deeper conversations, creating alongside each other, jumping in the pool, laughing, and dancing together. There is something pretty special about watching a group of people go from meeting each other to actually feeling like a community. 💜 And a dance party does not hurt 💃 #retreat #community #therapistlife #joshuatree by @the_desert_therapist
What if the conversations between sessions mattered just as much as the sessions themselves? Day 2 of The Rooted in Connection Retreat had plenty of learning, but also community time, shared ideas, reflection, laughter, fun, and all the little conversations that happen when you give people time to actually be together. @creativelyclinical @find.balance.with.monica @the_desert_therapist @victoriashorewellness @zeruahreedomlmft @lifes_journey_cc And after a full day of learning and connecting, we ended the evening slowing everything down with a sound bath with @atlmarie A little learning, a little rest, a lot of community… and a reminder that professional development can look a lot of different ways. 💜 #therapistretreat #therapistcommunity #therapistlife #retreat #joshuatree by @the_desert_therapist
“I’m not artistic” has ended more creative experiments than a lack of talent ever did. 🌵 Our guest this week is Melissa Grisi @the_desert_therapist and she is very good at catching that sentence when it pops up in her thoughts and with her clients. But guess what? It’s really just a sentence, and though it can do a lot of damage, you can also choose not to listen. What if lack of talent didn’t have to be the main focus? Conversations like these is why we make this art therapy podcast and why this creative community exists. You don’t have to be an artist to benefit from creativity. Whatever you’ve been talking yourself out of, consider this the go-ahead to get the materials out. Have you ever caught yourself saying “I’m not artistic”? Tell us in the comments what you’d try if you dropped it. This episode is out now, listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧 #creativityforeveryone #arttherapypodcast #imnotartistic #creativecommunity #arttherapylife by @the_desert_therapist
What happens when you bring a group of therapists to Joshua Tree and give them space to connect outside of the therapy room? 🌵✨ Day 1 of The Rooted in Connection Retreat started with welcome bags, creativity, a little sparkle, and a whole lot of “hi, nice to meet you.” But it didn’t take long for that to turn into real conversations, shared reflections, inside jokes, laughter, and those little moments where you can actually feel a group starting to connect. 🥹 And somehow… this is only Day 1. Would you come to the next one? 👀 If you could design your ideal therapist retreat, what would make it an immediate YES for you? And a huge thank you to @gaiavillajoshuatree for giving us such an incredible place to gather. 🫶 #therapistretreat #therapistcommunity #therapistlife #creativityandwellness #joshuatree by @the_desert_therapist
We’re all artists.” 🌵 Read that one twice. @the_desert_therapist said this on the episode and we couldn’t agree more. We are born with creativity. Then, for a thousand ordinary reasons, we get disconnected from it. A comment from an art teacher in fifth grade, a job that ate all the free hours, a decade where there was no time and nowhere to spread out your art materials. We’d love to remind you that disconnected momentarily from your creativity is not the same as gone. It’s still yours, and it’s easier to get back to than you think. That’s what our podcast and this creative community are for. You don’t have to be an artist to benefit from creativity, and Melissa would tell you that you already are one. Save this one for a day when you need it. This episode with @the_desert_therapist is out now, listen wherever you get your podcasts*🎧 *we are still having issues with Apple Podcasts because they removed our show without warning and we are working to get it back up. In the meantime you can listen and watch on YouTube, Spotify, or anywhere else! #arttherapypodcast #creativitypodcast #creativecommunity #wereallartists #everydaycreativity by @the_desert_therapist
EMDRIA Conference 2026✨✨✨ During one of the Conference sessions we were asked to reflect on our past self who decided to get trained in EMDR. For me, that was my 39 year old self, in 2015. I was working on an inpatient unit at a psychiatric hospital in RI when I decided to pursue EMDR Basic Training with the Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP). I attended Part 1 of 2 Basic in CT. Halfway through that training I received a call with a job offer at the Community Counseling Program aboard the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in 29 Palms, CA. 39 year old me packed up 12 years of living in Providence within a month and headed to CA. A year later I got trained in EMDR through the EMDR Institute. I learned how to be an EMDR Therapist through my work with active duty Marines, Sailors and veterans, developing a reputation among service members in being the therapist to see for combat trauma (truly an honor I will never ever forget). Fast forward: 2026 EMDRIA Conference session I reflect on 39 year old me: she knew intuitively that my EMDR journey needed to begin. And what a gift it has been: EMDR Therapy has led me to clinical work with incredible depth and meaning. I observe profound healing happening on the daily thanks to EMDR Therapy. I sit with folks who have experienced suffering for years, who not only finally find relief because of EMDR, but are also reconnect to themselves in a way that they can access aliveness, joy, and empowerment. Much love and gratitude to 39 year old me!🙌🥰 This year’s Conference reinforced my continued passion for trauma healing and my commitment to ongoing learning and training AND the reminder of the importance of community as a trauma therapist and compassionate human. It was so wonderful to see my EMDR friends and make new friends and share my EMDR clay charms and magnets!! Now it is time for integration (#iykyk)! And the countdown begins to next year’s EMDRIA Conference in Philly!!🙌 by @the_desert_therapist
But really how big of an EMDR nerd is your therapist or consultant? Does your EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant make EMDR themed ceramic art? Because I do.🤓 EMDR therapist friends, new and old: Come find me in Anaheim! I’ve got EMDR themed charms, magnets and a small selection of pins to share, handmade by me. A small gift of gratitude to our EMDR community of practitioners🫶🏼 by @the_desert_therapist
Therapists Retreat in Joshua Tree, Rooted in Connection. Sept 1-4, 2026 Nestled near Joshua Tree National Park, this retreat offers: • Lodging in a Private Desert Villa • Catered meals • Private sound bath • Yoga and somatic practices • Experiential workshops • 7 CE hours for most California licensed therapists (see website for details) • Time for Rest and integration • Space for reflection, connection, laughter, and playfulness • Indoor yoga studio & Outdoor yoga pavilion • Rooftop patio, Pool, hot tub, cold plunge, and hammocks • Fire pit gathering space • Labyrinth for reflection and walking meditation • Easy access to nature and desert exploration Learn more about this and other events at www.rootedinconnectionjt.com With Monica & Melissa! @find.balance.with.monica & @the_desert_therapist #retreat #therapist #joshuatree #summer by @the_desert_therapist
Therapists join us….. Rooted in Connection: A Joshua Tree Retreat for Therapists 📅 September 1-4, 2026 Nestled near Joshua Tree National Park, this retreat offers: • Lodging in a Private Desert Villa • Catered meals • Private sound bath • Yoga and somatic practices • Experiential workshops • 7 CE hours for most California licensed therapists (see website for details) • Time for Rest and integration • Space for reflection, connection, laughter, and playfulness • Indoor yoga studio & Outdoor yoga pavilion • Rooftop patio, Pool, hot tub, cold plunge, and hammocks • Fire pit gathering space • Labyrinth for reflection and walking meditation • Easy access to nature and desert exploration Learn more about this and other events at www.rootedinconnectionjt.com With Monica & Melissa! @find.balance.with.monica & @the_desert_therapist #therapists #retreat #summer #joshuatree by @the_desert_therapist
Were down to 2 spots for Rooted in Connection 🌵💜 Imagine leaving the desert feeling more rested, more grounded, inspired in your work, and genuinely connected to a group of therapists you’re really glad you met. Not because you spent four days trying to become a better or more productive version of yourself, but because you actually had space to slow down, be creative, learn, laugh, spend time in nature, and remember that you’re a whole person outside of the therapist role. Rooted in Connection is a Joshua Tree retreat for therapists centered around meaningful community, experiential learning, creativity, rest, and connection. September 1–4, 2026 Joshua Tree, California 🌵 There are 2 spots left to be part of this one! Learn more here/link in bio: rootedinconnectionjt.com Hosted by Monica & Melissa! @find.balance.with.monica & @the_desert_therapist #retreat #summer #joshuatree by @the_desert_therapist

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