Melissa Jeffay, PsyD

Melissa Jeffay, PsyD, is a psychologist in the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. She brings a wealth of knowledge about assessing and treating anxiety disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults.

Dr. Jeffay has experience working in both school and clinical settings, which has given her the ability to treat children with a wide range of clinical issues including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, specific phobias, selective mutism, social anxiety, panic disorder, and OCD. She works collaboratively with families, educators, and other people in the child’s environment to understand the whole child and to promote real and lasting change.

Through all her experiences, she has learned the importance of tailoring interventions to the unique strengths of her clients. She has received extensive training in and practices various evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), parent-child interaction therapy for selective mutism (PCIT-SM), exposure and response prevention, and behavioral parent training. She uses this knowledge base to help her patients approach feared situations, improve their daily functioning, and lead more fulfilling lives.

• School Psychology Intern, Robert Louis Stevenson
• Child Clinical Extern, Milestones Psychology
• School Psychology Extern, Pleasantville School District
• Graduate Student-Therapist, St. John’s University Center for Psychological Services

• PsyD, School Psychology, St. John’s University
• MS, School Psychology, St. John’s University
• BA, Psychology, Binghamton University