Jessica Melendez Stein, LMSW, MS Ed

Jessica Melendez Stein, LMSW, MS Ed, is a social worker in the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. She specializes in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and other evidence-based treatments to help children, adolescents, and families navigate anxiety, mood disorders, emotion dysregulation, suicidality, relationship distress, complex family dynamics, and life transitions.

Melendez Stein completed the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training Program at Columbia University School of Social Work and intensive training in DBT through Behavioral Tech. She also received advanced clinical training at Cognitive Behavioral Consultants (CBC) under the supervision of Dr. Alec Miller, the treatment developer of DBT for Adolescents (DBT-A), and was  intensively trained in DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE), DBT for Children (DBT-C), and DBT for eating disorders and substance use disorders. In addition, she has received specialized training in suicide risk assessment and crisis management, and she has provided parent management training and organizational skills training for adolescents with executive functioning difficulties.

Prior to becoming a therapist, Melendez Stein was an educator for eight years, co-founded a preschool, and developed early childhood social and emotional curricula. These experiences continue to inform her holistic and developmentally attuned approach to treatment.

Melendez Stein values evidence-based, compassionate care that centers the whole person within the broader systems that shape their lives. She takes a collaborative, nonjudgmental approach grounded in mindfulness, validation, and positive regard, helping clients build insight, resilience, and meaningful change. Her practice integrates emotion-focused and strength-based approaches to empower individuals and families to foster connection, balance, and lasting growth.

• Post-Master’s Fellowship, NYU Child Study Center
• Certified Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP) Therapist, New York State Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy Foundational Intensive Training with Dr. Alec Miller

• DBT-A Clinical Intern, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Child Study Center

• MSW, Advanced Clinical Social Work, Dialectical Training Program, Columbia University School of Social Work
• MS Ed, Early Childhood and Childhood General Education, Bank Street College of Education
• BS, Apparel and Textile Design, Cornell University