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MELISSA MECADON-MANN, PH.D, LPC, NCC, ACS
Dr. Mecadon-Mann's research and practice focus on advocacy, cultural and social justice, professional identity development, and trauma-informed practices. She is passionate about continuity of care between home, school, and the clinic, and she integrates Relational Cultural Theory and Systems Theory into her work.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Experiences of Counselors Working with Children and Adolescents Exhibiting Symptoms of Selective Mutism
Mecadon-Mann et al. (2026)
This phenomenological study aimed to identify the experiences of counselors working with children and adolescents who display symptoms of Selective Mutism (SM). Eight participants were interviewed to share their experiences working systemically across clinical, academic, and home settings to support children with Selective Mutism. The findings of this study contribute to counseling literature and inform counselor education, supervision, and practice.
Building Efficacy Around Youth Suicide Prevention in Western North Carolina
Mecadon-Mann et al. (2026)
This manuscript outlines a project focused on training educators and educators in training in the Western North Carolina region as QPR Gatekeepers and building personal efficacy around youth suicide prevention. The results show significant change in self-efficacy through pre/post assessment before and after administration of gatekeeper training and provide evidence that supports continued training and research around youth suicide prevention in the region. Keywords: youth suicide prevention, QPR, self-efficacy, educators, suicide
Body Image Ideals and Risk for Disordered Eating in Black American Women: A Scoping Review
Chilson et al. (2025)
This scoping review examines 12 years of research on body image ideals and eating disorder (ED) pathology in Black American women. The findings from this review provide important insights to inform counseling and integrated care approaches for working with Black American women struggling with body image and disordered eating. This study highlights the existing evidence on body image and EDs in this understudied population and points to critical directions for future investigation.
The Culturally Informed-Social Justice School Counselor Supervision Model
Sandifer et al. (2024)
During training programs, school counseling graduate students are provided practical opportunities to develop skills to examine school policies and practices. However, site supervisors are not always adequately prepared or trained regarding the theory and practice of supervision to facilitate fieldwork experiences. Program faculty are called to provide support for site supervisors to strengthen their ability to fulfill this role. The authors discuss and outline their designed comprehensive culturally informed, social justice-oriented supervision model for school counselor site supervision and training.
Principal and School Counselor Partnerships: Aligning Leadership Roles to Support the School Mission and Student Success
Bryant et al. (2024)
Through transformational leadership, principals advocate for shared power with others, promoting collaboration and systemic change. While researchers have identified many definitions and conceptualizations of leadership, the purpose of this conceptual article is to
demonstrate how the Hill Model for Team Leadership can be applied to the principal-school counselor relationship, promoting collaborative partnerships and shared leadership.
Microaffirmations: Small gestures toward advocacy and social justice
Boyce-Rosen & Mecadon-Mann, 2023
The practice of using microaffirmations enables positive outcomes through small acts of active listening that encourage feelings of inclusion and shared cultural intimacy. Microaffirmations can be intersectional and are beneficial to a wide range of populations, including people of color, LGBTQIA + individuals, and people with disabilities. This article describes the benefits of implementing microaffirmations in school settings and proposes a layered framework for implementation within school communities.
Lunch Bunch: A direct service for school counselors
Tuttle et al. (2023)
The role of the school counselor encompasses providing comprehensive and proactive programming to support student success and growth. Small group counseling allows for integration of a strengths-based approach to school counseling services and aligns with the ASCA National Model. The following article provides considerations and recommendations for the implementation of small groups through lunch bunch sessions. Facilitating small groups during lunch provides an optimal opportunity for school counselors to deliver direct services.
School counselor professional identity in relation to post-master's supervision
Mecadon-Mann & Tuttle (2023)
This quantitative study utilized a survey research design to examine the differences between school counselor professional identity (SCPI) development and post-master’s supervision. Results from this study indicate significant differences in components of SCPI between school counselors who participated in post-master’s supervision and those who did not. School counselors who pursued post-master’s supervision had stronger identity scores focused on roles and responsibilities, leadership, and social justice advocacy.
Relational Cultural Theory: School counselor and Latinx parent partnerships
Tuttle et al. (2022)
School counselors who incorporate Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) constructs initiate building connections and meaningful change. Relationships anchored on RCT theory provide school counselors a myriad of opportunities to build relationships and partnerships with Latinx parents and caregivers in support of student success in the K-12 school setting. The authors of this article provide a framework based on RCT to facilitate school counselor and Latinx parent and caregiver partnerships.
What's in a word?: School counselor and ESOL teacher perceptions and attitudes about collaboration
Tuttle et al. (2021)
Collaboration in the school setting is a vital component to student success. Two key stakeholders who support and advocate for English Learners (ELs) are school counselors and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers. The authors of this manuscript conducted a research study to measure school counselor and ESOL teacher perceptions and attitudes about collaboration by using a semantic differential scale developed by Gibbons et al. (2010) to measure school counselor perceptions and attitudes of collaboration.
Interventions for school counselors encountering COVID-19 impacts
Chibbaro & Mecadon-Mann (2021)
As the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents become apparent, school counselors and educators must work together to identify students who may be suffering. As a student advocate and leader within their schools, school counselors are in an optimal position to offer interventions and strategies that may be helpful to students, parents, administrators and teachers. Collaboration and coordination between schools and communities is also necessary for school counselors to be successful in helping students develop resiliency surrounding the impacts of COVID-19.
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