Before I was an army wife, a disabled veteran wife, or even a mother, I was a teacher. I originally launched my life with a BA in English, then a Master’s in Education with an additional certification in Special Education. I taught for a while, but Army life, motherhood, and multiple deployments had different plans.

While living within the Army world, I published two books and launched Her War, Her Voice with the intent of finding ways to better understand my own and my family’s journey through various forms of grief and trauma and to bring awareness to the mental health needs of military people. From that first blog, fifteen years of grief work, extensive training with trauma teachers, and retreat leadership led me to better understand trauma, tragic death, suicide, and what it means to hold space for grief and mourning in intense situations. After my husband was medically retired and I entered the official world of caregiving, I also had a front-row seat to what it means to be a caregiver. In the last four years, I have used my knowledge and experience to expand into the world of grief and ritual by becoming a Sacred Passage Doula and a Conscious Dying Educator, a Fire Keeper, and have entered an apprenticeship in traditional Indigenous practices. I have been a death doula since the age of six—I just didn’t know it had a name. It is my goal to normalize grief and to build a community around the sacred experience of death in every form it arrives. I believe there is immense power in shared support, and I believe there is growth in awareness.

I have two children: a daughter, and a son. I am a writer, an advocate, and someone who is passionate about suicide awareness, trauma-informed care, custom, grief support, and ritual.

Email Melissa: melissa@rootedrite.com

Website for Military Work: http://www.herwarhervoice.com/