Melissa Mattner was born and raised in southwest lower Michigan. She received her Bachelor of Art in Management from Spring Arbor University, her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University and is currently a doctoral candidate in the DHSc program at the University of Indianapolis.
She fell in love with the Western Slope while completing a travel contract in 2012 and was finally able to fulfill her dream to become a Colorado resident, moving here in 2017. With 11 years of occupational therapy experience, she also brings a passion for addressing feeding and developmental issues in the 0-3 years old population.
Her research focus for her dissertation is how occupational therapists can become a more integral and safe part of feeding interventions, including addressing how therapists consider a child's developing autonomy in the process. She is also interested in how occupational therapists can continue to return to their mental health roots when interacting with patients.
