Melissa Elliott has an abiding interest in approaches that attend to the experience of the body, that honor and include the spiritual life, and that address persons in the context of family, community, and culture. She has authored and co-authored numerous articles and two books, The Body Speaks: Therapeutic Dialogues for Mind Body Problems and Encountering the Sacred in Psychotherapy: How to talk with People about their Spiritual Lives.

While she has practiced and taught family therapy for several years, she has recently become a full time student at the University of Virginia. Enrolled in a program partially funded by a grant for southeastern rural mental health, she is hoping to do community based work in Mississippi with people who suffer with severe mental illness.

She has been an AFTA member since 1990 and has served on the program committee, is a member of the human rights committee, and the family policy committee. The programs and people of AFTA have been key in challenging her and catalyzing her work to be more politically responsive and useful.