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News & Updates

Melanie Warning, LPC

Visiting Instructor

MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling

mwarning@naropa.edu

EDUCATION:

Master in Somatic Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Dance/Movement Therapy; BA in Dance & Psychology.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS:

MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling, MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling: Dance/Movement Theories & Practice)

COURSES TAUGHT:

Foundations of Dance/Movement Therapy, Group Counseling, Family Systems, Human Growth & Development, Career Counseling

Melanie graduated from Naropa University in 2017 with her master’s degree in Somatic Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Dance/Movement Therapy. Prior to choosing to become a psychotherapist, Melanie served in the United States Peace Corps. She has been long inspired by the work of building bridges of connection across cultures and difference, especially in a world that is more polarized than ever. Melanie is also an artist at heart, a dancer and creator. She weaves artistry into her work with students, as well as her work with her clients in her private practice. Melanie is drawn to the potency of ceremony and liminal space and weaves the medicine of heart, breath, and body directly into her work. When Melanie isn’t with her clients or students, you can find her connecting with her loved ones, dancing, learning, writing, and spending time in nature.

PUBLICATIONS:

  • Embodying Activism: Reconciling Injustice Through Dance/Movement Therapy
  • Treatment Seeking Behaviors and Attitudes Survey Among Women at Risk for Perinatal Depression or Anxiety

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

Support Naropa

At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 05/06/2026. 

From Naropa University: Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed on 05/06/26. All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. Classes that are delivered online in our low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.

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Spring and Summer Start Dates for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentrations

In support of students and in response to federal legislation impacting financial aid for graduate students, Naropa University will be accepting applications for MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for spring starts through January 10.

Graduate School of Counseling concentrations listed below will be offering online and low-residency courses to start their programs in January 2026 as well as our Summer 2026 terms.

Beginning a graduate program in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 means that you will have access to apply for Graduate Plus loans as these loans will be eliminated at the federal level starting in Fall 2026.

Contact Admissions (admissions@naropa.edu) today to learn how you can begin the next step in your graduate education journey.

Apply Now