About Dr. Melissa Munoz
Focus areas
Anxiety
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Relationship Struggles
BIPOC Mental Health Issues
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Women's Issues Therapy
Burnout
Psychotherapy
Clientele seen
Young adults (18-24)
Individuals
Adults (25-64)
Seniors (65+)
Treatment approaches
Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
Attachment-based
Compassion Focused
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Culturally Sensitive
Identity
Gender
FemaleEthnicity
Hispanic or Latinx
Languages spoken
English, Spanish
Getting to know Dr. Melissa Munoz
The darkest hour sets before sunrise, and growth through these times displays true courage. I welcome your strength to this space and am so proud of you for taking care of yourself! Resilience, reflection, and redesigning your craft toward lasting change is what I offer you as a psychologist with a decade of clinical experience. I'm here to walk this journey with you. I work with individuals who are looking to be supported and experience growth through major life changes.
I specialize in addressing trauma, depression, and anxiety concerns related to challenging life transitions involving identity development, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, career decisions, and self-esteem. I have extensive experience working with military members (i.e., active duty, veterans, and their families), professionals, students, and People of Color.
I earned my PhD and Master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and my Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine. I completed my internship in psychology at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego.
Previous clients have said that my collaborative, empowering, and genuine therapeutic approach has helped them reach their goals. In therapy, I integrate multiculturally grounded, supportive, and evidence-based treatments-let's together shine a light on your own inner resiliency!
What should a new client know about working with you?
Currently, I am not contracted directly with any insurance panel and do not provide a sliding scale. However, you may have out of network coverage if you have a PPO insurance plan. Depending on your insurance, I can provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance for reimbursement according to your eligibility. If your insurance plan provides out-of-network benefits, you may be reimbursed for 20-80% of your session fees. You may be surprised on what your insurance may offer! Sometimes after insurance reimbursement, clients may pay within the $20-$50 per session range.
Also check to see if your company health flex savings plans offer mental health benefits as well.
Before we meet, contact your insurance carrier to 1) verify if you have mental health benefits 2) the number of sessions covered 3) the rate of reimbursement 4) the deductible. I want to ensure you make the best decision for your healing journey!
What is your typical process for working with clients?
After the initial session, clients who are ready to begin, may begin seeing me right away. Other times, clients may want to think about if they would like to proceed with me or talk with other providers before making a decision. Occasionally, there may be client whose concerns may not be in my scope of practice. If this is the case, we can discuss other possible treatment providers. The most important thing is that we may both have a good fit for one another.
Most of my clients begin with weekly one hour psychotherapy sessions and may taper off to every-other-week then monthly sessions as they improve. Each person is different, we may typically meet for a few sessions and others may meet ten to twenty sessions or even longer term. Once things feel better, some clients may come back on an “as needed” basis for support. I am always here as a touch stone in your therapeutic process for what you may need.
Dr. Melissa Munoz is not in-network with any insurances
It’s common for mental health providers to be out-of-network. Many insurance plans offer out-of-network coverage, so you may get partially reimbursed. Learn more
Out-of-pocket fees and assistance
Initial session: $225 for 60 minutes
Ongoing session: $225 for 60 minutes
Popular visit reasons
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy
Pain Management Consultation
Psychiatry Consultation
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit
Sleep Problems
Young Adult Issues
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy
Pain Management Consultation
Psychiatry Consultation
Office location
Dr. Melissa Munoz, PhD also offers online video visits for patients
Education and background
Practice names
Hospital affiliations
- VA San Diego Healthcare System - San Diego VA Medical Center
Education and training
- University of Missouri, Columbia, PhD in Counseling Psychology
- University of Missouri, Columbia, Master's in Counseling Psychology
- University of California, Irvine (Bachelor's)
- Sharp HealthCare, San Diego, Internship in Psychology
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, San Diego, Fellowship in Clinical Psychology
Professional memberships
- American Psychological Association
- National Latinx Psychological Association
Awards and publications
- McCrae, C. S., Chan, W. S., Curtis, A. F., Deroche, C. B., Munoz, M., Takamatsu, S., Muckerman, J., Takahashi, N., McCann, D., McGovney, K., Sahota, P., & Mazurek, M. O. (2020). Cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Short report on preliminary findings. Autism Research, 13, 167-176. PMID: 31566918. DOI:10.1002/aur.2204.
- Garriott, P. O., Navarro, R. L., Flores, L. Y., Lee, H.-S., Carrero Pinedo, A., Slivensky, D., Muñoz, M., Atilano, R., Lin, C.-L., Gonzalez, R., Luna, L., & Lee, B. H. (2019). Surviving and thriving: Voices of Latina/o engineering students at a Hispanic serving institution. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(4), 437–448. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000351
- Lee, B. H., Zhu, J., Diaz, D., Fischer, J., Flores, L. Y., Lin, C., Beilgard, J. N., May, S. F., Muñoz, M. E., Shahin, M., Atilano, R. (2017). Racial/ethnic Minority vocational research trends: An 11-Year Update. Career Development Quarterly
- Morales, A. & Muñoz, M. (2017). Immigration and Transgender Identity. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender. (pp. 931-933). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. DOI: 10.4135/9781483384269.n
NPI number
1700485760
How soon can I make an appointment with Dr. Melissa Munoz?
Generally, Dr. Melissa Munoz has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Dr. Munoz's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.
Is Dr. Melissa Munoz accepting new patients?
Dr. Melissa Munoz generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Dr. Munoz's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.
Does Dr. Melissa Munoz accept my insurance?
Choose your insurance plan to verify if Dr. Munoz is in-network.
Can I make an appointment with Dr. Melissa Munoz online?
Yes, you can make an appointment online with Dr. Munoz using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.
Which hospital is Dr. Melissa Munoz affiliated with?
Dr. Melissa Munoz is affiliated with VA San Diego Healthcare System - San Diego VA Medical Center.
What practice does Dr. Melissa Munoz work with?
Dr. Melissa Munoz works with Dr. Melissa E Munoz Psychotherapy.
Where is Dr. Melissa Munoz's office located?
Dr. Melissa Munoz has 2 office locations, including in San Diego and Markleeville, view full addresses on Dr. Munoz's profile.
What are common reasons for patients to see Dr. Melissa Munoz?
Dr. Melissa Munoz frequently sees patients for Pain Management Consultation, Psychiatry Consultation, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Sleep Problems. You can see other visit reasons for Dr. Melissa Munoz on their profile.
What languages does Dr. Melissa Munoz speak?
Dr. Melissa Munoz speaks English and Spanish.