Dr. Melissa Cordero, PsyD, RYT, SEP, brings a unique blend of expertise as a bilingual, bicultural, Spanish-speaking licensed psychologist, certified yoga teacher, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and Family Constellationist. Inspired by her heritage as the daughter of Colombian and Uruguayan immigrants, she is dedicated to empowering minoritized communities.
Her academic journey includes a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harbor UCLA, where she focused on trauma and non-suicidal self-injury in youth. For over two decades, Dr. Cordero has seamlessly woven her extensive experience in yoga and meditation into her therapeutic work. Currently, she serves as the manager of the Academic and Staff Assistance Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and runs a private practice.
Dr. Cordero specializes in guiding underrepresented individuals through the complexities of interpersonal, complex, and collective trauma, and navigates multicultural, spirituality, LGBTQ+, and diversity issues with profound insight. Her therapeutic framework emphasizes somatic experiencing, mindfulness, family constellations, and evidence-based interventions, particularly for underserved populations. A key aspect of her work involves using family constellations to address intergenerational trauma and foster ancestral healing, helping clients find strength by connecting to their lineage. She is also proficient in non-verbal trauma treatments, including Somatic Experiencing and Transcending Sexual Violence through yoga. At UCSB, she champions holistic well-being, offering sound healing meditations and pioneering programs like "Yoga as Healing," "Healing with the Beat of a Different Drum," and "Healing with Yoga and Sound" specifically for sexual assault survivors.
Her academic journey includes a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harbor UCLA, where she focused on trauma and non-suicidal self-injury in youth. For over two decades, Dr. Cordero has seamlessly woven her extensive experience in yoga and meditation into her therapeutic work. Currently, she serves as the manager of the Academic and Staff Assistance Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and runs a private practice.
Dr. Cordero specializes in guiding underrepresented individuals through the complexities of interpersonal, complex, and collective trauma, and navigates multicultural, spirituality, LGBTQ+, and diversity issues with profound insight. Her therapeutic framework emphasizes somatic experiencing, mindfulness, family constellations, and evidence-based interventions, particularly for underserved populations. A key aspect of her work involves using family constellations to address intergenerational trauma and foster ancestral healing, helping clients find strength by connecting to their lineage. She is also proficient in non-verbal trauma treatments, including Somatic Experiencing and Transcending Sexual Violence through yoga. At UCSB, she champions holistic well-being, offering sound healing meditations and pioneering programs like "Yoga as Healing," "Healing with the Beat of a Different Drum," and "Healing with Yoga and Sound" specifically for sexual assault survivors.