Students and Alumni

A prominent voice in the effort to reverse the stigma of how we learn about mental and sexual health, Melissa Risso has worked extensively as a therapist within the San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles areas. Versed in tending to the needs of a wide demographic range, Melissa has worked with organizations focusing on Alzheimer's, domestic violence, women's DV shelters, crisis lines, and teen rehabilitation centers.

Melissa has offered her expertise to multiple Bay Area school districts ranging from preschool to college—working with children on the spectrum; currently counseling at College of San Mateo; teaching human sexuality courses to graduate-level counseling psychology master's students; operating a private practice in San Mateo; and, most recently, working on issues surrounding sex therapy.

Featured in publications including The Hudsucker, Womanista, EXaholics, and Pillow, Melissa's podcast "Let's Do It with Melissa Risso" promotes positive conversations around both mental and sexual health. Valuing proper education about sex without stigma, Melissa has dedicated her career to the positive growth of her clients and to the benefit of the public.

Voted as the San Francisco Bay Area Leader by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), Melissa is a regular contributor for EXaholics, certified in Gottman Therapy Levels 1 & 2, UCLA Leadership Award Winner, a California Domestic Violence training counselor, and a 2018 scholarship award winner for the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists' (CAMFT) Clinton E. Phillips Award.

A graduate of UCLA, Melissa completed her postgraduate in counseling psychology, focusing in health, from Santa Clara University. Melissa is an AASECT-certified sex therapist. Melissa's doctoral work will focus on exploring the dynamics among individuals practicing polyamory, and will specifically examine the female perspective.

Social Media:
Twitter: @melissarisso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaRisso/
Website: www.RissoCounseling.com