Grief is one of life’s most profound challenges, and navigating it can feel overwhelming.

I am Dr. Melissa Mork, and I’ve spent my career—and my life—understanding the complexities of loss and helping others find resilience and healing through it.

As a professor of psychology for over two decades, I’ve had the privilege of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in person, as well as designing online courses that reach students nationwide.

My academic journey has been recognized with awards for Excellence in Teaching and Service, along with a nomination for the Carnegie Foundation's Professor of the Year.

But my expertise extends far beyond the classroom. I have written three books on mental health and grief. Bounce: From Surviving to Thriving through Loss (2023) reflects my belief in resilience, growth, and even humor as powerful tools for healing.

Through my book, Mental Health Matters: How Ten Psychological Principles Can Enhance Your Mental Health (2024), and my podcast, Mental Health with Dr. Melissa Mork, I engage listeners weekly, offering insights and practical advice on coping with mental health challenges.

Grief, however, is not just an academic or professional interest for me. I’ve walked this path myself—deeply. I lost both of my parents while in college, endured multiple reproductive losses, and faced the tragic suicides of two close friends, an uncle, and my grandmother.

More recently, my beloved husband passed away from aggressive lung cancer, leaving me to navigate grief while raising our two children alone.

These personal experiences have deepened my empathy and informed my approach to helping others, combining the rigor of psychological science with the compassion of someone who has truly lived through it.

I am also a Certified Humor Professional, an advocate for using humor as a tool for healing, even in the darkest of times. I wrote Navigating Grief with Humor (2019), contributed a chapter in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grieving, Loss, and Healing titled “Laughter at a Funeral,” and have published extensively on the power of humor in teaching and therapy.

In addition to my personal and academic experience, I serve communities as a post-trauma grief responder.

Since 2011, I’ve worked with survivors and families affected by mass shootings, including the 2011 Norway massacre, the East Buffalo tragedy, and the Uvalde school shooting, among others.

My training in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and traumatic grief allows me to provide emergency support when it’s needed most.

I also proudly volunteer with Gilda’s Club Minnesota, a cancer support network founded in memory of Gilda Radner.

During my husband’s battle with cancer, we found solace in their mission of community and humor—a mission I continue to champion.

Whether you're seeking coaching, an online course, or a speaker who understands grief from every angle, I am here to guide you through this journey.

Grief doesn’t have to be endured alone, and together, we can move from surviving to thriving.