The Heroic Journey: About Melissa Bradley-Ball

About Melissa M. Bradley-Ball

Over three decades of experience brought Melissa Bradley-Ball to start The Heroic Journey Center. Receiving both a Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Counseling Psychology from the University of Tennessee, she started on an educational path, being a music educator and artist for several years. Melissa Bradley-Ball is now a clinical educator, resilience specialist, a fully-trained domestic mediator and corporate trainer. Well-known as an internationally recognized clinical faculty at Cross Country Education (merging with PESI), a US/Canadian/UK clinical seminar company for more than eighteen years. All of the clinical continuing education offerings may be viewed here, many remain currently in self-study. In 2021, Bradley-Ball joined Essential Therapy Training - a UK clinical training company - and her work is now available world-wide for clinical continuing education.

As a Level II EMDR trained professional, Melissa Bradley-Ball has had extensive experience in the field of trauma and often trains personnel at medical centers, mental health agencies, universities, crisis centers, school systems, and corporations in dealing with victims of trauma and other mental health and wellness issues. She has professional experience as a Child Sexual Abuse Investigator and provides expert witness testimony in criminal and civil court.

Since 2001, Melissa Bradley-Ball has taught over three-hundred-fifty thousand professionals, including physicians, psychologists, nurses, law enforcement, social workers, addiction specialists, lawyers, counselors and clergy in all 50 states, Canada and Central America. Her most popular seminars developed have been: Restoring Life After Sexual Trauma: Treating Adolescents, Adults and Couples; Helping Families Navigate the Waters of Medical Trauma; Resilience: Helping Clients Navigate the Heroic Journey to Personal Transformation; Three Stages of Healing: Trauma Conversion and Resilience; Three Stages of Healing: Counseling Victims of Sexual Trauma; Don't Bubble Wrap the Kids: and Raising A Truly Resilient Generation. And in an effort to help those who serve in the military, and those who support them, she developed Counseling Those Who Serve: Working with Veterans, First Responders and Their Families. She was a Clinical Board member for Not Alone (Now Courage Beyond) - a national program for veterans and their families, has given her volunteer time to multiple groups such as The American Red Cross, Operation Stand Down and The National Children's Advocacy Center and was a featured speaker at the first national conference on Post-Traumatic Growth in November 2011 - PTSDisorder to PTSGrowth. In 2017, she served on a five-person panel of experts for the Pentagon's pilot program on sexual abuse, harrassment and leadership.

Her most popular seminar about The Heroic Journey, is being attended by behavioral health clinicians world-wide, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, business owners, executive coaches, parents, clergy, leadership groups and individuals who wish to live their lives in a more meaningful and resilient way.

For more information about all upcoming seminars, please check the Business Seminars/Webinars page and the Clinical Seminars/Webinars page.

A Fellow, Diplomate and Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress for the prestigious American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, and a National Certified Counselor, Bradley has been keynote speaker at national and statewide conventions. Among her professional associations, Melissa Bradley-Ball is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA).

Melissa Bradley-Ball has been frequent guest on regional and national radio and television news shows discussing a wide range of issues. Several of those news series have won prestigious national and international media awards for those interviews, including the Scripps Howard Award for Broadcasting Excellence, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the Tennessee Educators Association and the New York Festival. She has recently filmed a PBS Special narrated by Larry King focusing on children and divorce.

Melissa Bradley-Ball has also served on several boards including: Making the World A Better Place.

In addition to her education and training, personal experience has given her the compassion needed to reach out and help others. In her seminars, Melissa Bradley-Ball speaks openly and honestly about her own loss & trauma life, lessons learned, and wisdom gained. And she shares all that with her audiences, so they come to realize they’re not alone, and that they, too, can come through on the other side - stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.

If you or someone you love needs a little help moving along your life’s path, call for an appointment today or go to our "Contact" section of this website and fill out the form. Melissa Bradley-Ball will personally receive your request and promptly respond.