Where every road to wellness begins with compassion —Supporting rural lives, one healing step at a time.
About Melanie
Melanie has been walking alongside individuals and families as a social worker since 1996, when she graduated from the University of South Dakota with degrees in Social Work and Criminal Justice. A pivotal course in justice and compassion shifted her map of law school to a lifelong journey of serving others through healing and connection.
Early in her career, Melanie focused on trauma and emergency response, working with children, families, and individuals in crisis. While serving on the Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team, she earned her master’s in social work from the University of Denver in 2003. Melanie’s work has spanned child welfare, domestic violence, and sexual abuse investigation and prevention, and she continues to provide consultation, education, and forensic review in these areas.
In 2010, Melanie felt called to return home to South Dakota to support her family’s farming operation. She worked for several years as a clinical social worker in hospice and medical settings across the state, supporting individuals with chronic illness and their families. Since 2015, Melanie has focused fully on her work as a psychotherapist, dedicated to expanding access to compassionate, client-centered mental health care in rural areas.
After serving as co-director at Sioux Falls Psychological Services' River Counseling satellite office, Melanie launched Rural Roads Counseling and Consultation in 2024. Her private practice supports individuals and families across the lifespan, combining evidence-based care with a heartfelt understanding of rural life.
Melanie lives with her family in rural Douglas County. Her passion for growth and transformation extends to her work on the land—through Morningside Farm, LLC, a seasonal venture offering herbs, flowers, and produce grown with care. You can follow along at Morningside Farm on Facebook.
Therapeutic Experience
At Rural Roads Counseling and Consultation, working with Melanie means being met with compassion, deep understanding, and a heartfelt reverence for your unique life story—whether you are at the beginning of life’s journey, walking through its middle chapters, or facing its final seasons.
Melanie is a seasoned clinical social worker and psychotherapist with over two decades of experience walking alongside individuals and families through life’s hardest roads. Her work is evidence-based and person-centered, grounded in the belief that every person holds innate worth and the capacity transformation.
Whatever hardship you may be navigating, Melanie offers trauma-informed care that honors your pace, your voice, and your values. She integrates approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, somatic work, and attachment-based approaches.
Rooted in clinical expertise and a deep regard for rural communities, Melanie honors the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.
Supporting All Ages—Including Through Play
For children and teens, Melanie offers play-based and expressive therapies that help young people feel seen and safe. Her approach helps them process big feelings, build regulation skills, and trust again—especially important in rural areas where support can feel distant.
A Rural Lens on Mental Health
Having returned to South Dakota to support her family’s farm, Melanie deeply understands the realities of rural life—juggling responsibilities, facing isolation, and holding generational stories. Her care reflects the values of resilience, rootedness, and resourcefulness, often found along dirt roads and in quiet fields.
Faith-Integrated Counseling
For those who desire it, Melanie offers spiritually integrated care that brings together clinical insight and faith-based reflection. She honors your beliefs and invites spiritual exploration as part of your healing—never imposed, always welcomed.
Healing Starts with Trust
Whether you’re seeking clarity in a stormy season, support for your child, or peace near the end of life’s journey, Melanie offers a safe place to begin. Therapy with her is grounded, respectful, and gently transformative—guided by the belief that healing is always possible, even on the backroads.
“Where every road to wellness begins with compassion.”