Melissa Walker helps military service members recover from traumatic brain injury and mental illness.

Why you should listen

Melissa Walker is a creative arts therapist at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a directorate of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She works with active duty service members suffering from traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions.

Dedicated to helping recovering service members safely express their deep thoughts and emotions in a creative environment, Walker designed the Healing Arts Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in 2010, where she engages her patients in mask-making, a powerful mechanism for helping them express their invisible wounds. Walker received her Master's Degree in art therapy from New York University.

Melissa Walker’s TED talk