Melissa Lanza Gonser is a Practicum student currently pursuing a masters degree in Mental Health Counseling. With over 15 years of tending the earth in the environmental restoration and water protection field, Melissa felt an undeniable calling to shift her focus to supporting her community through humanistic challenges. Melissa brings a true desire for connecting deeply with people to her new role in the mental health field, while drawing on the wisdom and grace she has learned from working in the mountains and rivers. As a Practicum position in the Flathead office Melissa will be offering individual support through the BRANCH program and co-facilitating youth and adult support groups.

MY “WHy”:

To be human is to experience loss and grief at some point. Supporting others through such a tender time in life lightens the collective load and can have ripple effects on our society. I honor the persistence of grief and have seen the profound effect that supporting one another can have on the process. I am beyond grateful to be doing my experiential learning with an organization as deeply committed and supportive as Tamarack Grief Resource Center. I believe that it is with the support and resources that Tamarack provides our community that we can nurture and grow through the struggles that we face. My hope is to support those grieving with a steady, comforting presence on the path toward healing.

re-charging & delight-finding:

I found so much of who I am in the mountains, lakes and rivers of Glacier National Park and I love swimming (dunking), hiking and camping in that wild place. You can sometimes find me roller skating the Going-to-the- Sun Road before it opens to traffic each spring and Fall. Summers are for camping and visiting the many amazing, lookout towers in our area with my husband and our almost seven-year-old daughter and pup. Gardening keeps my hands in the earth and close to beauty, while teaching patience and persistence. When the snow flies, I like to snowboard with my family and hang out indoors near the wood-stove crafting, weaving, or reading a good book.