AAPI Member

AHPRA Registered

Meet Your Psychologist

Melissa Beasley

Founder & Principal Psychologist

Melissa is a registered psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). She is passionate about mental health and working with people to understand themselves, achieve their goals, find peace from the challenges life throws at them and ultimately be the person they want to be.

Human First was established with the vision of creating a place where human connection sets the foundation for healing. Before all of her qualifications and professional experience, Melissa is human just like you.

Book with Melissa Get in Touch

About Melissa

A Career Dedicated to Helping Others

Melissa has been working with people experiencing mental health issues long before becoming a psychologist. For over 10 years, she worked in homelessness services at The Salvation Army in various roles. Understanding the impacts of homelessness before commencing in the field, she took her work very seriously and successfully assisted countless individuals and families access secure housing suitable for their specific needs.

Melissa worked with a very broad range of associated issues in her time at The Salvation Army including complex mental health diagnosis and issues, domestic violence, trauma, addiction, criminal justice related issues, systematic disadvantage, disability and more.

Working in the homelessness sector, Melissa saw a lot of people who could not access the resources they needed. She saw a lack of accessible mental health treatment, resulting in people continuing to struggle within themselves long after their basic needs had been met through secure housing or establishing safety.

She paid attention to the people she worked with and noticed a common theme over time — people who could access a psychologist who was the right fit for them spoke highly of treatment and their ability to heal within. Knowing there had to be more out there for people, a way to heal from the struggles of life and thrive, her love of psychology was born.

What Drives Melissa

"Knowing there had to be more out there for people — a way to heal from the struggles of life and thrive — her love of psychology was born."

This belief is at the heart of everything Melissa does at Human First.

Melissa's History

Psychology Training & Clinical Experience

Melissa's clinical journey has spanned two very different settings — a local clinic and a national digital service — giving her a broad and grounded perspective on what people truly need from psychological care.

Mullum Road Psychology Clinic · Ringwood

Internship — Children, Adolescents & Adults

Melissa started her internship at Mullum Road clinic, working therapeutically with children, adolescents and adults, and completing autism assessments. She worked with a wide range of presentations including trauma, addiction, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, self-harm, relationship issues, attachment-based issues, ADHD, autism and more. Melissa drew on a range of therapeutic modalities — including Animal Assisted Therapy — allowing her to combine her love of animals with her love of psychology.

MindSpot · National Digital Mental Health Service

Registered Psychologist — Online CBT & Mental Health Treatment

Melissa completed her internship at MindSpot, a national digital mental health service offering free online mental health treatment. She now works as a fully registered psychologist, primarily delivering cognitive behavioural therapy and drawing upon other evidence-based therapeutic modalities as required. She completes assessments of mental health symptoms and impacts, risk assessments, and safety planning when needed. Being a national service, Melissa works with people from all over Australia who are facing various challenges.

Human First · Online Psychology Practice · Present

Principal Psychologist & Founder — Online

Melissa founded Human First with a clear vision: to create an online psychology practice where genuine human connection sits at the heart of every therapeutic relationship. As Principal Psychologist, she works directly with clients one-on-one, providing personalised, evidence-based psychological support across a range of presentations including anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. Alongside her clinical work, Melissa leads the day-to-day operations of the practice — from shaping its values and culture through to ensuring every client who comes through the door receives the highest standard of care. Human First is built on her belief that before any qualification or title, the human sitting across from you matters most.

Credentials

Professional Qualifications

Melissa's academic journey reflects her commitment to both the social and clinical dimensions of mental health care.

Diploma of Community Welfare
Dual Bachelor of Criminology & Psychological Science
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Master of Professional Psychology

Human First

A New Approach to Online Therapy

Driven by her belief that quality mental health care should be accessible to everyone, Melissa founded Human First — an online psychology clinic that offers flexible, confidential, and client-centred therapy. Her approach combines evidence-based modalities to support individuals dealing with a wide range of challenges.

By providing telehealth therapy, Melissa ensures that individuals — regardless of location or circumstances — can access high-quality psychological care without the barriers of traditional in-person therapy.

EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — an evidence-based approach particularly effective for trauma and PTSD.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT helps people identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours — practical, structured, and evidence-backed.

Mindfulness-Based Strategies

Drawing on mindfulness to build awareness, regulate emotion, and develop a kinder relationship with yourself and your experience.

Beyond the Clinic

Melissa the Human

Melissa is passionate about mental health advocacy, social justice, and breaking down stigma. She continues to stay engaged with research, professional development, and innovative therapy techniques to better support her clients.

When she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her dog Zeus and exploring the latest advancements in psychological treatments.

At Human First, the belief is simple: before any title or qualification, Melissa is human — just like you. That shared humanity is the foundation everything else is built on.

Book with Melissa Our Story

Melissa Beasley — founder of Human First Psychology