Episode 66: The Thorns
An interview with Melissa Essman
Melissa shares her in-process story of the “thorns” that keep her from rest, delight, connection, and growth.
The Seeds
Name: Melissa Essman
Age: 54
Place You Call Home: California
Place You Currently Reside: San Francisco, CA
Season of Work: Primary work: Doctor of Social Work in private practice doing psychotherapy with adults and couples. Secondary work: Professor, Researcher, Documentary Filmmaker, Writer.
Hobbies: Adventures with my family, exploring outdoors, long-distance hiking, spending time with people, reading, listening to live music, and creating.
Jesus' Journey: Rough start. Parents were the first people to introduce me to Jesus, and I am grateful for that. But almost everything else about it was not of God – there was so much harm to many people and me in the name of God, distortion of the Word, and a very damaging environment through all of that. God gave me the gift of discernment from a very early age, which I still carry today. Jesus is and always has been my BEST FRIEND. Since I was 5 years old, I have been experiencing his grace. He has been my compass, my sustainer, my strength, my healer, my parent, and my rock.