We are delighted to welcome our new counselor, Melissa Krahmer, LMSW, to Tokyo Mental Health’s growing team of service providers!
Melissa Krahmer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where she was inducted into the Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society. She currently holds a LMSW for the state of Texas and is working towards earning her Licensed Clinical Social Worker license. Melissa grew up familiar with the military as her father was in the Army. She is married to a United States Marine who is currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
For the last 7 years, Melissa has worked with adults and adolescents diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression) and crisis. She also has experience working with clients with intellectual disabilities (IDD) and related conditions (autism, etc.) in the community as well as in an acute hospitalization setting. Melissa has formal education in military informed training, including providing service to active and retired military veterans, those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and clients with substance-related issues. She has organized, created, and managed programs dealing with provider resources, referrals, and symptom management.
Melissa has extensive experience in:
- Counseling
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Cognitive Processing Therapy
- Conducting behavioral psychosocial and crisis assessments
- Crisis intervention
- Behavioral management
- Management of problematic substance use
- Illness management and recovery
We asked Melissa some questions to get to know her better…read more below!
What do you enjoy most about being a social worker?
In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankel observed and contended that without purpose we lose hope. To extend on that, without hope we lose our will, our desire for life.
Everyday, I am in search of my purpose and meaning and I enjoy helping others find theirs. I am not perfect and have had my own struggles. It is nice to have someone unbiased to go to and talk it out, work on it, and move forward one step stronger, wiser, and with forgiveness towards ourselves and others. I believe the mind is an important and sacred place which we need to keep clean and clear. Assisting others in learning how to get rid of the toxic thinking that has knocked them down is important to me. I enjoy seeing people go through this journey and feel honored they trusted me in helping them through the tough process of becoming healthier mentally, spiritually, and physically.
There are many approaches to getting well, and I do not take anything at face value. I welcome a challenge in helping others get well. We are in this together and you are not alone. I want others to know and understand that trauma, mental health disorders, or anything that causes impairments in your life can be helped, managed, and sometimes stopped. Learning how to take control of your life and learning that this trauma is not who you are can be the most rewarding and freeing thing in your life. I am here every step of the way. I love being a social worker as it allows me to work with such a diverse group of people and I learn so much from you, as I hope you do with me. You give me the tools to help others in a profound way.
What are your hobbies?
My hobby is making myself happy through self-growth – spiritually, religiously, and physically. I really love traveling and exploring different cultures, beliefs, and their spiritual/religious practices. I am open to anything that will help me grow as a person and learn about myself. I enjoy cooking, as well as trying new foods from different cultures. The thrill of how your taste buds will respond is like going on a roller-coaster for the first time. I have a passion for photography and really enjoy looking through the lens, seeing the unobvious and making it beautiful. I enjoy being able to record my life through the lens. Each journey has been such a chapter, and with pictures, they become an endless series.
I enjoy hiking, biking, and currently, learning Japanese. I enjoy meditating on a daily basis. I have been involved in CrossFit for the last five years and enjoy the intensity it provides me.
Although water is not my forte, my husband is a fish, and therefore, I am learning to be open to the idea of snorkeling and experiencing the beauty the ocean has to offer. Everywhere I go and travel, I attempt to make it a hobby to enrich myself with the culture and explore the areas of attraction.
