Welcome! I’m so thrilled that you found me here
My name is Melissa Ming Foynes, I am a coach & host of The Science & Soul of Living Well℠ podcast & I am on a mission to coach, empower & partner with women
to transform their stress, fears and self-doubt in order to realign with their inner selves and fully live life with meaning, purpose, all in accordance with personal values ~ with science, with soul, and with heart.
Freebie Alert!
Freebie Alert!
Meet Dr. Melissa Foynes
As an experienced clinical psychologist, trauma-informed mindfulness, meditation and yoga instructor, and Ayurvedic doula, I have developed expertise in a diverse range of Eastern and Western healing modalities to offer women personalized paths to holistic growth and transformation. I believe that we all have an innate capacity for empowered and resilient living, and with the right combination of support, tools, and commitment to taking steps toward change, growth and transformation are always possible, regardless of how ingrained our thought patterns and habits may feel.
learn more about me
introducing
The Science and Soul of Resilient Living
In this program, I use a holistic approach that skillfully integrates evidence-based tools from psychological science and complementary and alternative medicine to help women go from feeling overwhelmed and controlled by fear, doubt, loss, and self-criticism to fully living life with meaning, purpose, and in accordance with their values.
LEARN TO NAVIGATE THE COMPLEXITY OF YOUR LIFE
INVEST IN evidence-based TOOLS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH
DISCOVER HOW TO LIVE WITH MORE MEANING AND PURPOSE
learn more
about the program →
learn more about the program →
You may have been drawn to my work because you:
Are on an unsustainable path full of stress, work-life imbalance, and putting other people’s needs before your own
Are struggling with self-doubt, fear, and judgment
Have lost sight of what you truly desire and want for your life - or worry that you have just been fitting into what others want for you
Want to heal from the toxic effects of gender socialization, societal messages, and negative life experiences
Science & Soul of Resilient Living
My approach blends science-informed knowledge from psychology with wisdom from holistic and integrative healing to offer curated strategies that have dramatically changed my life and resulted in transformative experience for the women with whom I have worked. I believe in the benefits of all of these tools and their powerfully synergistic effect when used together.
I developed my signature 1:1 coaching program with these very problems in mind.
learn more about THE PROGRAM
learn about THE PROGRAM
Working with Melissa literally changed my life!! She guided me through major shifts in my approach to life and myself. With her support my relationships have improved through boundary setting and emotion regulation, I’ve found purpose and made difficult decisions by trusting my intuition, and I have more joy in my life through less black and white thinking and honouring my values. All this change was possible because Melissa created a nonjudgmental space in which I could be candid about everything. I always felt heard, respected, and valued. Our sessions were action oriented, which meant that I could directly apply our conversations to whatever issue I was currently pondering/struggling with. Melissa has been a light in my life and I am excited for her to be one in the lives of many others!
-Ellen C.
I was in a very dark place, hated myself, not recognizing my past trauma was turning me into a dark, angry, self-loathing individual. Melissa helped me discover who I truly was by having me work on a variety of tools and practices with her and assignments on my own to face challenges that I buried for so long. It took a lot of hard, tiresome work and I wondered how the heck this could ever help. For some reason, I trusted her and kept doing it- I was unbearable to be around. Then, one day I was driving in my car belting the words to one of my favorite lady-jams and realized the dark cloud that loomed over me for so long wasn’t there anymore. I felt liberated and light on my feet again. I was laughing and care-free again, something I had not felt in so long. I could laugh until my stomach hurt, I had aspirations I forgot existed, and I was able to live the life I knew I wanted to live. I am grateful for the skills she taught me and have continued using them years later.
-B.G. S
I am a BIPOC woman who has struggled for years with setting boundaries, insecurities and self-care. Melissa centered on me and my needs - and never allowed me to feel as if I let her down if I was unable to complete something we agreed I would do. Her flexibility and focus on grief and trauma greatly helped me as did the meditative practices that we worked into my treatment. Working with Melissa has helped me with my insecurities, the effects of gaslighting, and my sometimes over empathetic approach to people in my life. She understands the challenges of being a woman (and woman of color) in our society that has so many expectations. I am still learning to release those expectations and lead with self-compassion (always a work in progress), but I can say I wouldn’t be where I am without Melissa. The care and love she has shown me have led to me certainly feeling more joy in my life because I have gained a deeper understanding of my own personal motivations as well as how to actually listen to my gut (which is so much harder than I have imagined). I am so thankful for her.
-Gretchen B.
Dr Melissa Foynes is an amazing woman. She’s gentle, kind, sympathetic, knowledgeable, and very smart. When I sought out someone to help me cope with the overwhelming pressure and anxiety I was feeling due to my life’s circumstances, I didn’t know where to turn. As a nurse in a busy hospital, high stress is a baseline when you walk in the door. Her strategies and podcasts have helped bring the stress level back to where it should be, rather than living in a super high state, only to go up when any little or big thing occurs. Our family saw some of these strategies come home to us via school recommendations for kids in a stressful pandemic state. When I mentioned these same strategies helped me, my kids were very interested and starting practicing the breathing exercises. This has helped them daily. I would highly recommend Dr Foynes to anyone seeking to bring calm and peace to their lives. Her demeanor and expertise are comforting and empowering.
-Julie D.
Working with Melissa was an opportunity I wish everyone could have! Melissa was such a gift to me during the difficult season of postpartum. She taught me a wide array of practical coping skills (particularly for my tendency toward anxiety) that I continue to use daily, even two years later. At first I was worried that the Ayurveda aspect would conflict with some of my beliefs, but she did an amazing job at personalizing it all so I never felt conflicted. Melissa's calm, kind personality made me feel loved and lifted much of my load during that time. She made me feel empowered and confident in who I was and I can never thank her enough for all she did!
-Stephanie
Working with Dr. Foynes has been such a blessing for me. I have been to therapy for many years and lately was feeling like something was missing, like I needed something more than traditional therapy. Working with Dr. Foynes gave me exactly what I needed. She gave me tools and direction taking into consideration my needs and unique situation. She provided so much wisdom to help me "glue together" pieces that I knew were within me but needed that push to be pieced together. I absolutely loved the combination of psychology and ancient methods like yoga, meditation and breathing techniques that she shared during our time together. Those opened my mind to try new methods that I still use on a daily basis, in other words she effected a positive change in my life. The communication process with her was such a delight, as I did not have to wait for our next session together to ask questions or get some direction when I felt like I was needing some guidance to complete the next tasks. She is very patient, graceful and compassionate and her voice and wisdom are on point. Her preparation and expertise truly show!
-Milmar R.
Do you want to learn how to cultivate resilience and live with more meaning, purpose and alignment?
The Science & Soul of Living Well℠
binge the podcast
The Science and Soul of Living Well℠ is a podcast hosted by clinical psychologist, educator, trauma-informed mindfulness, meditation and yoga teacher, and Ayurvedic doula, Dr. Melissa Ming Foynes. Melissa and her guests dive deeply into ways to integrate evidence-based information from psychological science and complementary and alternative medicine into our daily lives so that we can cultivate resilience and live with more meaning, purpose and alignment with our values in all life domains (e.g., relationships, parenting, career, physical, mental, and sexual health and well-being, spirituality, identity) even in the most stressful and darkest of times.
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