Melissa Mendoza is the Founder of The Shift and a Certified Mental Health & Wellbeing Practitioner. She is passionate about supporting women from diverse backgrounds as they navigate the mental and emotional challenges of growing their families, with a mission to empower women with practical tools to nurture their emotional, physical, and mental health. Combining 14 years of yoga practice with her own lived experience of mental ill-health, she offers a trauma-informed approach that prioritises safety, self-agency, and holistic wellbeing. Through The Shift, she provides mental health support, educational programs, and mind-body-spirit self-care practices – offering a compassionate, evidence-based approach to help women thrive. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind what she does, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
The Shift was inspired by my journey through IVF, healing from a traumatic birth, and recovering from severe postnatal depression. This experience revealed the urgent need for holistic mental health and wellbeing support for families. Talking with other parents made it clear that we all strive to nurture our physical, mental, and spiritual health. This inspired me to create programs that empower parents, especially mothers, to prioritise self-care as the foundation for their wellbeing.
We believe holistic mental health services are a fundamental human right, and this belief drove us to establish The Shift as a social enterprise, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access our programs.
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
My journey began with volunteering at PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia), where I used my lived experience to support advocacy and research. This role opened the door to meaningful opportunities, including participating in focus groups, raising awareness at pregnancy expos, and contributing to digital innovations, all of which deepened my understanding of perinatal mental health. Inspired by these experiences, I pursued postgraduate studies in mental health and trauma-informed yoga, strengthening my commitment to this field. These milestones shaped my vision to focus on prevention, creating programs that empower parents with the tools and knowledge to embrace self-care and foster holistic wellbeing.
The Innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The turning point came when I started delivering our programs and witnessed their transformative impact on participants. Seeing them thrive validated our mission and gave me the confidence to approach health practitioners about potential collaborations. Their positive response confirmed the importance of our work and motivated us to keep improving. While we are still building our partnership models, our vision remains clear: to empower families through self-care, promoting mental wellness and holistic wellbeing as a foundation for their health journey.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family is a dynamic, ever-evolving process. I’ve learned to accept that there are times when family must take precedence and others when my business requires focus. This delicate dance often comes with sacrifices, but my work is deeply aligned with my life’s purpose, which motivates and inspires me daily. Learning to let go of “mom guilt” and being fully present in whichever role I am prioritising has been key to finding balance. It’s not perfect, but it’s a journey I embrace with intention and grace.
