We are excited to welcome Dr. Melissa Falkenstern who will be joining Third Wave in 2027!

She works with adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, insomnia, anger, chronic medical conditions, major life transitions, and reproductive mental health. She is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based approaches, and CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I), which she uses to help clients build genuine, lasting change.

Melissa earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Washington State University in 2015 and completed her internship and postdoctoral training at the Southwest Consortium in New Mexico. She brings a grounded, collaborative style to therapy — helping clients get unstuck from patterns that no longer serve them and move toward a life that reflects what actually matters to them.

My Approach

My approach to therapy combines evidence-based practices with compassionate, individualized care that is trauma-informed and culturally responsive. Building a relationship of trust and creating a space where you feel understood, respected, and empowered is my top priority. My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, grounded, and direct.  I am here to help you get unstuck from patterns that no longer serve you, develop new ways of responding, and move toward a life that feels more fulfilling and true to who you are. I balance validation and support with empowering you to take practical steps toward meaningful, lasting changes in your life.  

I work with a range of mental health conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, trauma-related disorders, and sleep disorders. Many people struggle in ways that are hard to describe or fit into a specific diagnostic category. Therefore, our work together begins with a thorough biopsychosocial assessment which provides you with a clearer understanding of your concerns, what may be contributing to those concerns, and how therapy can help. For example, I commonly help people with concerns such as difficulty with emotion regulation and coping, body-image concerns, perfectionism and self-criticism, low self-worth, overthinking and worry, difficulty letting go of control and responding flexibly, anger and irritability, procrastination, feeling unfulfilled or adrift in life, and feeling stuck in rigid or avoidant patterns.

Once we come to a shared understanding of the specific concerns that bring you into therapy, we will collaboratively create a treatment plan tailored to your unique goals, needs, and circumstances. My treatment approach is individualized and often incorporates evidence-based psychotherapies as well as psychological theory and research from areas including attachment theory, human development, humanistic approaches, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The evidence-based treatments I most commonly use include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Interpersonal Therapy.

Areas of Specialization

I offer individual and group psychotherapy for adults (ages 18 and older).  I am welcoming of people from all backgrounds and am LGBTQIA+ affirming. I treat mental health conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, and trauma-related disorders.

I have a particular passion for helping people get better sleep and have specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Imagery Rehearsal Therapy for recurrent nightmares, and CPAP desensitization to help people overcome anxiety and discomfort that may interfere with using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea.

I also have expertise in health psychology, which focuses on the interconnections between physical and mental health.  I help people with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, chronic pain, and cardiovascular disease navigate the emotional and psychological aspects of living with a chronic illness, build resilience, and improve their quality of life. I also work with reproductive mental health concerns including those related to the menstrual cycle, perinatal period, and the menopause transition.

My Professional Background

I have been practicing as a licensed clinical psychologist since 2016.  I received my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Washington State University in 2015 after completing a 1 year predoctoral internship at the Southwest Consortium in Albuquerque, NM.  I completed a 1 year postdoctoral fellowship in Primary Care Psychology at the Raymond G. Murphy VA in Albuquerque in 2016.  I then worked as an embedded clinical psychologist in the Albuquerque VA’s primary care clinics until transitioning to private practice at Third Wave Psychotherapy at the end of 2026.