Melissa Zeligman

Melissa Zeligman, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counselor Education and School Psychology at the University of Central Florida’s College of Community Innovation and Education. Her expertise spans trauma counseling, mental health, HIV/AIDS, and multicultural competency. Prior to her academic role, she worked as a mental health counselor in diverse settings including agencies, medical institutions, legal environments, and high schools.

• Education: Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Central Florida

Her research focuses on trauma work, including posttraumatic growth, clinical skill development for counselors-in-training, and the intersection of chronic illness (e.g., HIV/AIDS) with social support and meaning-making. She has explored telehealth adaptation during the pandemic, decolonized pedagogy, and mindfulness practices in counselor education.

Selected trends from her recent publications highlight systemic discrimination among BIPOC counseling students, trauma-informed telehealth implementation, HIV-related mental health disparities, and spirituality’s role in chronic illness resilience. She advocates for experiential learning and cultural humility in counselor training.