Dr. MELISSA JINARIU
About Dr. Melissa
I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY26316) and former Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT42216) with a combined 25 years of experience. Throughout my career, I have supported hundreds of individuals, children, and families in reducing trauma, relational conflict, and emotional pain. My approach is strength-based and collaborative, working with you to develop an individualized treatment plan that reduces distress and fosters resilience.
Education & Training
I earned my Doctorate in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University in 2011 and completed clinical training across community mental health, school-based, and outpatient hospital settings. My APA-accredited residency took place at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital CAARE Center, where I worked extensively with traumatized children and families. I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, specializing in pediatric trauma, attachment, and adoption-related concerns. My dissertation research focused on the factors that contribute to secure attachment in adoptive families.
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I also hold a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, awarded in 2002. In the years that followed, I worked in private practice, residential treatment, and the private foster care sector, serving in roles including Social Worker, Clinical Supervisor, and Assistant Executive Director.
In addition to my private practice, I am deeply passionate about training developing clinicians. For nearly a decade, I taught doctoral-level courses in child and adolescent development, spiritual integration, and child abuse as an adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University. I also supervised more than 75 pre-licensed clinicians at APU’s Community Counseling Center, where I created and directed the clinical Trauma Track.
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I am trained and/or certified in numerous empirically supported treatment models designed to reduce or eliminate symptoms, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)—for which I am also a Certified Consultant through the EMDR International Association—Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Seeking Safety, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS), Theraplay, Collaborative Problem Solving, and Psychological First Aid.
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I have also trained in the school of life. As a mother of four neurodivergent children and a foster-adoptive parent, I understand first-hand the intense challenges and profound rewards of parenting. I empathize deeply with the struggles families face and offer practical, real-world tools to help reduce stress and increase connection, meaning, and joy within the family system.