Rooted Families, Rooted Communities
Rooted Families Rooted Communities offers hope, healing, and support for those impacted by complex trauma. Reaching families and community professionals, we endeavor to provide life-changing training, family coaching, and small group experiences aimed at equipping caregivers and transforming the lives of hurting children and youth.
Our Mission
We exist to create and support stable home environments for children with histories of trauma through targeted training and support that empowers caregivers and transforms families.
Our Vision
Where every family impacted by trauma has access to the tools, community, and compassionate support they need to build secure, healing relationships that last for generations.
Where We Serve
From our home base in Texas to the beautiful hills of Oregon, we're bringing trauma-informed care to families who need it most.
Fort Worth, TX
Through our headquarters and primary training location, we’re serving families throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area and North Texas region.
Portland, OR
Bringing comprehensive TBRI® training, therapeutic camps, and mentorship programs to families throughout the Portland metro area and Oregon.
Virtually
Access our evidence-based programs virtually, making trauma-informed care easily accessible from home.
Connection-Centered Support for Every Child
Meaningful connection is key when caring for children with complex behavioral needs. Through the use of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) and other trauma-informed approaches, we train caregivers and professionals on how to set limits, correct behaviors, and teach children social-emotional skills while keeping connection strong. Ultimately, these interventions reduce challenging behaviors and build resilience.
A Look into Our Journey
Rooted Families Rooted Communities was born from personal experience. Co-founders Melissa and Brian Burdett began their journey as respite providers before adopting two children from foster care. Like so many families, they struggled to understand and meet the complex needs of children impacted by trauma, until they discovered TBRI®.
TBRI® transformed their family. It gave them language for what their children were experiencing, practical tools for creating felt safety, and a framework for building the secure attachments their children needed to heal. What began as a personal breakthrough became a calling: to offer this life-changing approach to other families walking the same difficult road.
In 2021, the Burdetts moved their family from Oregon to Texas so Melissa could pursue advanced training at TCU's Institute of Child Development, the birthplace of TBRI®. After Melissa earned her Master's in Developmental Trauma in 2023, the Burdetts expanded their ministry to serve families in both Texas and Oregon.
Expanding Our Resources & Expertise
Today, we operate with a team that includes six practitioners, bringing depth of expertise that's rare in this field. We partner with organizations to equip churches and agencies. What started as our family's search for answers has grown into a comprehensive ministry serving hundreds of families annually, yet we remain deeply committed to the personalized, relationship-based approach that changed our own lives.
Our Leadership Team
Co-founders Melissa and Brian Burdett know this journey personally. As foster-adoptive parents with five children, they understand the struggles and victories. Melissa and Brian are both TBRI® practitioners. Together with their team, they're committed to transforming families for generations to come.
Melissa and her husband Brian founded Rooted Families Rooted Communities in response to the needs they had as foster/adoptive parents. Their dream was born out of a need for accessible resources for ALL families struggling to thrive while supporting children with trauma histories. Melissa has been working with children for decades. Her background in child development and education have merged with her passion for serving children with histories of trauma, resulting in the creation of Rooted Families Rooted Communities.
With her M.S. in Developmental Trauma from Texas Christian University and as a Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) practitioner, Melissa serves with dedication and depth. As a cheerleader for all to experience their own preciousness, she loves facilitating the group Making Sense of Your Worth.
Currently Melissa works for ACH child and family services leading therapeutic groups for children in foster care and women survivors of domestic violence. She provides family coaching for families in crisis and trains and coaches Residential Care staff in TBRI® implementation. These experiences have added fuel to Melissa’s passion to equip bio families for retention/reunification and to equip foster families for placement stability, protecting children from the added trauma of multiple moves, residential placements, and hospitalizations.
Concentrating on attachment, Fetal Alcohol Exposure, and Complex Trauma, Melissa enjoys researching and gaining deeper understandings of neuroscience in order to best serve families.
Melissa has served as the leader of multiple ministries at her church in Portland, OR including a ministry to teen girls and their mothers. Seeing girls grow to confident, grounded women of faith brings Melissa deep joy.
When she has free time you will find Melissa spending time with her children and grandbaby, dancing in the kitchen with her husband Brian, kayaking, singing or playing the piano.
Brian is the co-founder of Rooted Families Rooted Communities, and an adoptive parent with a deep passion for strengthening families and nurturing healing-centered relationships. As a TBRI® Practitioner, Brian loves bringing Trust-Based Relational Intervention® principles into the outdoors-creating space for connection, restoration, and growth through nature. Through lived experience, faith and trauma-informed care, Brian is committed to equipping families and communities to grow deep roots and thrive together.
Being exposed to the needs of the foster children in her home growing up convinced Julia that what she wanted to do was be in the helping professions. After witnessing the day to day struggles of children in foster care, Julia felt a calling to case management. She is currently a therapist for families who have a youth in crisis.
Julia is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker Associate and a TBRI® practitioner. She loves using these tools in the context of her current job and as the head of the Rooted Families Mentor Group, Deep Roots, in Oregon.
Julia received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Liberty University and her Master’s in Social Work from University of Kentucky.
In her free time, Julia loves exploring new places, trying new hobbies, and playing board games with friends and family.
Erin is a TBRI Practitioner with a Master’s in Developmental Trauma from TCU. Erin comes from a large adoptive family, and currently coaches families who are struggling with challenging behaviors. Erin is passionate about TBRI implementation with children, caregivers, and organizations.
Jacob (Jake) is first and foremost devoted to his wonderful wife and five children. Jake works as a marketing professional, currently leading a retail execution team across the Dallas For Worth area with the Hispanic branch of CA Fortune. He has a background in Higher Education with a focus on leadership development and experiential learning. Jake has engaged in several campaigns to raise awareness of the issues of sex trafficking locally and internationally. He has also served as a youth leader at his local church. He continues to share his passion for bringing wholeness and health to youth and families in our community.
Jacob believes in the power of community to help restore children and families from trauma to health, stability, and a hope-filled future. “All kids deserve to have a safe and supportive home in which to grow and flourish. I am honored to partner with Rooted Families Rooted Communities to ensure children and families have the support they need to overcome the incredible obstacles life has placed in front of them and to thrive. We can do this together!
Karen Edwards is a dedicated leader committed to fostering thriving environments where families and communities can flourish. With over 15 years of extensive experience in strategic program and portfolio management at global organizations like Nike, Karen brings a unique blend of operational excellence, visionary planning, and collaborative leadership. She has a proven track record of driving significant initiatives, building high-performing teams, and implementing solutions that enhance efficiency and deliver measurable impact—skills she passionately applies to strengthen organizational foundations and community initiatives. Karen’s expertise in stakeholder engagement, process optimization, and strategic development positions her as an invaluable asset in cultivating robust, “rooted” communities and supporting families in their growth and success.
Growing up with adopted siblings fueled Grace’s passion for coming alongside individuals with histories of trauma. Grace received her M.S. in Developmental Trauma from TCU and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Wheaton College. She is a TBRI® practitioner, and loves utilizing this knowledge in her work as a foster parent trainer, birth doula and with her church’s foster care/adoption ministry. In her free time Grace enjoys adventuring with her husband, reading more books than she can fit on her bookshelf, and deep conversations over delicious cups of coffee.
Katie is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) Practitioner and Making Sense of Your Worth Facilitator who finds great joy and fulfillment in serving children and caregivers. She works full-time for a local non-profit, which allows her to pour into and speak into the life of a school. Katie serves in her church in the kid’s ministry as a volunteer and coach, and is an integral part of the Rooted Families Team serving as course facilitator and head of children’s programming. In her free time, Katie enjoys reading, walking, and spending time with friends.
Barb was the first member of the Rooted Families board and has been a long-time champion of the ministry of Brian and Melissa Burdett. Her faith in this ministry and in the healing work of Jesus were instrumental in the launch of Rooted Families Rooted Communities. Barbie loved deeply and authentically. Her example of love freely given is an inspiration to each of us as we carry her legacy forward in the way we serve and care for children and families. In loving memory.
Our Current Community Collaborators
We're grateful to collaborate with organizations who share our commitment to serving vulnerable children and families with excellence. Together, we're creating trauma-informed communities.
