Description
Join other mental health professionals and benefit from the support, collegiality, and professional development the Aquidneck Island Clinical Consortium (ACC) offers. The group gathers approximately 8 times a year and regularly has free CEU programs. Members have input on topics, so after a needs assessment is done in May, a new calendar of meetings and events is established for the next academic year. The group does not meet in the summer and starts up with a new calendar of events beginning each September.
Melissa Mastrostefano, LICSW is currently presiding as president of the Aquidneck Island Clinical Consortium (ACC) and invites other mental health professionals in the area to join!
Group Therapist
Melissa Mastrostefano is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Newport, Rhode Island. In her private practice, Melissa sees children, teenagers, young adults, college students, adults, and seniors, with a focus on grief and loss.
Melissa has expertise in grief, loss, trauma, depression, anxiety, chronic, and terminal illness. She is a grief and loss specialist, and is affiliated with Memorial Funeral Homes in Newport where she leads classes and workshops on the topic. Melissa also leads support groups and provides professional development workshops for organizations. In addition, as a certified Celebrant, she officiates and develops meaningful and personalized ceremonies to assist a community to heal after a loss.
Melissa is dedicated to learning best practices; her work is grounded in academic research. She studies under Rev. Dr. Rev. Lark d’ Helen, a Certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist and URI college professor of Thanatology.
Melissa has an extensive social work background. She has spent time working in community mental health centers, schools, and a cancer center. Her thirty years of experience and training in various therapy modalities enable her to help her clients process powerlessness, change, guilt, and other difficult emotions. Melissa uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Existential Therapy, mindfulness practices, supportive therapy, restorative practices, and Soul Injury Treatment.
