Melissa Cancio Manuel, MSN, PMHNP-BC

More about Melissa Manuel, PMHNP-BC

Melissa Cancio Manuel is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who offers compassionate, evidence-based care to adults navigating a wide range of mental health challenges—including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and co-occurring substance use disorders. She brings a calm, grounding presence to her work and believes in meeting each person exactly where they are, creating a therapeutic space that feels safe, collaborative, and empowering. 

With over 17 years of experience in mental health and behavioral healthcare, Melissa has worked across diverse care settings, including inpatient psychiatry, psychiatric emergency services, dual diagnosis treatment, and integrated medical teams. She has had the privilege of serving veterans, active-duty military members, trauma survivors, and transitional-age youth. Her work is rooted in the understanding that every person’s mental health journey is unique, and healing happens best when treatment is grounded in respect, empathy, and shared decision-making.  

Melissa’s clinical approach combines psychopharmacology with motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and tools from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based interventions. She knows that healing begins with trust and that patients thrive when they feel heard, respected, and empowered, so she tailors each care plan to reflect her patients’ values, preferences, and personal goals—always working in partnership with the individual. Whether someone is seeking support for a new concern or managing ongoing symptoms, Melissa strives to walk alongside patients with compassion and clarity as they build self-awareness, process past wounds, and move forward with a renewed purpose. 

Melissa’s calling to the mental health field began early in life, during her first job working with children whose parents were recovering from substance use disorders, at Kaiser Permanente’s Chemical Dependency Recovery Program. By witnessing how mental illness and substance use disorders can affect entire families—and how empathy and structure can create a space for healing— she was inspired to dedicate her life to this work. As she continued her journey, Melissa gained hands-on experience in school counseling, community outreach, and global behavioral health programs, including an internship at the UK’s largest network of addiction services. 

A turning point came when she met a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who showed her how mental health care could be both clinically rigorous and deeply human. This outstanding Nurse Practitioner modeled the kind of compassionate, clinical care she aspired to provide. From that moment on, she knew she wanted to become a PMHNP and bring that same level of empathy, professionalism, and hope to others, while supporting them through life’s most challenging seasons.  

Melissa was drawn to Mindful Health Solutions because of our commitment to innovation, accessibility, and whole-person care. Our focus on reducing stigma and offering a wide range of therapeutic options aligns with her personal and professional values. She appreciates that MHS creates space for compassionate, evidence-based care while also integrating cutting-edge interventions. She is especially interested in interventional treatments because she has seen how traditional approaches aren’t always enough for patients with treatment-resistant conditions. Having access to options like TMS, esketamine, and other advanced therapies opens doors for healing that many patients may not have previously believed possible. Melissa is looking forward to helping bridge the gap between hope and results.