Project Description

Melinda Cathey

Global Missionary
Global Orphan Care/ Trauma Care Trainer/ The Harbor Co-Founder

Melinda lived in St. Petersburg from 1992 -2002 with her husband, Mark, and their three children. Prior to their time in Russia, Melinda received her MA in Counseling Psychology from Trinity International University in 1985 and practiced individual, family, and marriage counseling in a variety of settings: community health, church, private practice. While in Russia, she co-founded The Harbor with Alex Krutov in 2001 and served as its Executive Director until 2015.  The Harbor was the first transitional care program of its kind in St. Petersburg and the second in Russia. Its distinctions include residential care, an individualized and holistic program, a focus on the psychological and spiritual aspects of development and trauma, and a commitment to professional and highly trained staff. Most recently, Melinda completed TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) Educator Training in 2015 under the study of the late Dr. Karyn Purvis at TCU in Dallas, TX. She now trains and consults on trauma-informed therapy and The Harbor model of residential care with those working with orphans or foster kids in any capacity. Her training in TBRI principles has been enthusiastically received in Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Bolivia, and the U.S.