Biography

Melanie M. Bassa is an Associate Professor of Psychology at West Liberty University, where she has taught for the past six years. Before entering academia, she provided direct mental health services to clients. She earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Marshall University in 2001 and became a licensed clinical psychologist in West Virginia in 2007. For more than a decade, she served rural communities, an experience that continues to shape
her commitment to improving access to mental health care. While teaching is now her primary focus, she remains an active clinical psychologist. She also serves as Director of West Liberty Universitys Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Program and as a board approved supervisor, mentoring graduate students and early-career psychologists to help strengthen the rural behavioral health workforce.

Education

Obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Wheeling Jesuit College in 1996

Earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Marshall University in 2001

Professional Experiences

M.A.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist WV #950
Associate Professor of Psychology
Clinical Director of the Master’s in Clinical Psychology Program
Board Approved Supervisor
Member of the following: American Psychological Association (APA), West Virginia Psychological Association (WVPA),
Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP), APA Division 26: Society for the History of Psychology, and Psi Chi:, the International Honor Society in Psychology

Most Recent Publications and Presentations

Poster Presentation at the APA Conference in 2026 entitled: “Bringing History to Life through Experiential Learning Experiences”

Accepted to present at the West Virginia Psychological Associations 2026 Conference in Morgantown, WV on the topic: Understanding Mental Health Challenges in Rural Appalachia: A Guide for New Clinicians