Catherine Mellinger (she/they)
Co-Founder, Executive Director
Catherine Mellinger (she/they) is a certified Expressive Arts Therapist having graduated from the CREATE Institute (Toronto) in 2011, and Canadian Certified Perinatal Mental Health Therapist (CC-PMH). They hold additional certification in Perinatal Grief and Loss (CC-PGL) and have completed trainings with both Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings and Postpartum Support International. Catherine began to specialize in working with Perinatal populations due to her own lived experience of pregnancy and postpartum mental health challenges, due to a pre-existing mental health disorder. She identifies as a queer femme birthing parent to two neurodiverse children, living with invisible disability.
Catherine is also an inter-arts and mixed media artist whose works have been exhibited across North America and published internationally. She is lead artist of Post-Part, a project created in collaboration with Pazit Cahlon, Nat Janin and Adam Harendorf. She is a mental health and perinatal mental health advocate for all birthing people and primary caregivers to children.
Training
Certified ExAT – CREATE Institute
Foundations of Perinatal Mental Health, Perinatal Grief and Loss Certificate, CC-PMH (qualifying) – Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings
Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training, Advanced PMD Psychotherapy – Postpartum Support International
The Indigenous CAPC Certificate – CSC Chigamik CHC
Transmasculine Fertility and Birthing – Kayden X Coleman
Gratitude
We are grateful to Lisette’s dedication in collaborating to co-found this organization with Catherine Mellinger. As difficult a choice it was, Lisette decided it was time to move on from Together Waterloo in December of 2024, to focus on her doula practice and her family as she entered 2025. To find out more about Lisette and her work, please visit her socials and her website.
