Speakers

Melissa Johnsgard is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with extensive experience in community mental health. She worked for years at Pacific Clinics, the largest Medi-Cal behavioral health agency in California, and worked in private practice before transitioning to Mission College as their first Mental Health Supervisor. At Mission College, she developed and oversees the Mental Health Internship Program, supervising five mental health interns who provide therapeutic support to the college's diverse student population. Melissa is trained in EMDR and holds an Advanced Process Therapist certification from the Process Therapy Institute. She specializes in experiential interventions, offering innovative therapeutic approaches tailored to her clients' needs.

Lynnea Palazzolo is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with over a decade of experience in the mental health field. Since 2013, she has been dedicated to helping individuals of all ages improve their mental and emotional well-being, working across multiple settings including non-profits, hospitals, autism clinics, and schools. Lynnea holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University and is passionate about integrating a compassionate, client-centered approach in her work. Specializing in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Lynnea is also currently undergoing training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to further enhance her therapeutic skills. Lynnea is the Mental Health Supervisor at West Valley College and the owner of Empathic Empowerment Therapy Services, a group practice based in San Jose. In her supervisory roles, she provides guidance and support to mental health professionals, fostering an environment of growth and learning.

Outside of her professional life, Lynnea enjoys pickleball, traveling, spending time with her family, and riding her motorcycle, finding joy in both adventure and connection.

Sue Walker spent the majority of her professional career as a Senior Employee Communications Manager in high-tech, Fortune 500 Silicon Valley companies, partnering with executive business leaders to develop and execute internal communication strategies.

In 2009, she left the corporate environment to pursue her passion for writing and storytelling. In early 2010, she completed an intensive three-month resume training and certification program—earning her Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) credential from the Resume Writing Academy. She launched Sue Walker Consulting, and today, she leverages her corporate knowledge and resume-writing expertise to create targeted and branded resumes, LinkedIn® profiles, career biographies, cover letters, and thank you letters for clients across all industries and professions.

Sue holds a Bachelor's degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco, and an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) credential from the Resume Writing Academy (RWA).