Melissa Lunardini, PhD, MA, MBA, FT

Chief Clinical Officer

Melissa is a leading expert in grief and loss with over 20 years of experience across various mental health settings. She holds a Ph.D. in International Psychology with a Trauma focus, as well as an MBA and a Master's in Psychology with a Marriage and Family Therapy concentration. With a clinically trained background, Melissa specializes in grief-tech, AI, griefbots, childhood bereavement, hospice and palliative care, and trauma, and has developed innovative programs and evidence-based interventions across various industries, including healthcare, education, and non-profit. As Chief Clinical Officer at Help Texts, Melissa oversees the delivery of global mental health and grief support via text message. She ensures all content is rooted in evidence-based practices, leads subscriber support and research initiatives, and plays a key role in AI and product development. A Fellow in Thanatology, Melissa is a sought-after presenter and researcher. Her work on text-based grief support has been published in preeminent journals and presented at international conferences.