our stories are medicine.
Melissa Dawn Melnitzer MD
Hello, I am Melissa Dawn Melnitzer.
I am a physician who practises in palliative care and mental health in Toronto. I am a facilitator of therapeutic writing workshops. I am a writer. I am a speaker. I am a mother. And I am a woman who has experienced depression and burnout, and found her way out.
I believe in the healing power of story. Writing saved my life.
Over ten years of personal and professional experience in the realm of therapeutic writing has solidified in me a deep reverence for the healing potential in the written and spoken word. It is my life’s work to embody this ever more fully, in my own writing and by facilitating writing for those with whom I am privileged to work.
My patients and clients include individuals and groups in medical and caregiving professions, and anyone at risk of burn-out and/or depression, as well as corporations committed to holistic well-being of their employees.
there are different ways to tell your story with me.
Therapeutic writing
In small groups, or one-on-one through email, experience the healing power of writing and sharing within a therapeutic framework. September 2022 Day Retreat-in-the-City is now full. Contact melissa@melissadawn.md for next offering.
Rising Strong/Daring Way™ Groups
Based on the work of Brené Brown, in these therapeutic groups, we meet to explore vulnerability, shame, and the anatomy of our own personal stories.
Burnout prevention and recovery
In this workshop, called 15-Minute Beginnings, you’ll learn to author your own self-care plan of small steps you’ll definitely be able to do.
Legacy creation
This is a personalized process of life reflection and storytelling designed for those with a life-threatening illness, but also supportive for deep contemplation at any stage of life.