Melissa L. Anderson, PhD, MSCI

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Director of Research, DeafYES! Center for Deaf Empowerment and Recovery

Dr. Anderson is Assistant Professor, psychologist, and clinical researcher in the Implementation Science & Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC), Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School. She completed her graduate work at Gallaudet University, where she studied intimate partner violence and trauma in the Deaf community. At UMass, Melissa offers outpatient therapy to Deaf clients recovering from trauma, addiction, and comorbid disorders; provides psychological evaluation and treatment on a Deaf inpatient psychiatric service; and conducts community-engaged research on best approaches for working with Deaf clients. Supported by funding from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, she and a team of Deaf and hearing clinicians, filmmakers, actors, artists, and community members are currently developing and testing a digital American Sign Language therapy manual for treating trauma and addiction.