Jazmin A. Melendez, LMSW

Professional Introduction

Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially when you are not sure whether you will feel truly understood. Jazmin A. Melendez, LMSW, believes therapy should be a space where clients can show up authentically, speak openly about what they are experiencing, and feel supported without judgment.

Jazmin works with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families navigating emotional challenges, relationship concerns, identity, life transitions, trauma, family stress, and other mental health concerns. Her clinical experience spans outpatient psychotherapy, school-based mental health, child and family services, crisis assessment, and intensive preventive services.  

She has a particular passion for supporting Black and Brown communities and LGBTQ+ individuals and recognizes that culture, identity, family, relationships, community, and lived experiences all influence emotional wellness. Her goal is to provide culturally responsive and affirming therapy where clients feel seen, respected, and empowered throughout the therapeutic process.

My Approach to Therapy

Jazmin’s therapeutic style is warm, genuine, collaborative, and client-centered. She does not believe therapy should feel like someone is simply analyzing you or telling you how to live your life. Instead, she works alongside clients to understand what is happening, identify patterns that may be creating barriers, recognize existing strengths, and develop practical strategies for meaningful change.

She understands that effective therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Jazmin considers each client’s experiences, relationships, family dynamics, culture, identity, strengths, and individual goals when developing treatment. Her clinical work is grounded in trauma-informed and culturally responsive care, with an emphasis on creating trusting therapeutic relationships and individualized treatment goals.

For children and adolescents, Jazmin brings significant experience supporting emotional, behavioral, developmental, academic, family, and social concerns. Her background in school social work includes individual and group counseling, crisis and safety assessment, special education collaboration, psychoeducation, social-emotional learning, and working closely with families and school teams.

Whether a client is processing something that happened years ago, navigating a difficult season right now, strengthening relationships, or simply recognizing that something needs to change, Jazmin provides a supportive environment to explore those concerns and move toward greater emotional well-being.

Specialties & Areas of Focus

• Anxiety & Stress

• Trauma & Trauma-Related Concerns

• Relationship Issues

• Couples & Family Concerns

• Life Transitions

• Identity & Self-Exploration

• Emotional Regulation

• Self-Esteem & Confidence

• Family Conflict & Family Dynamics

• Child & Adolescent Mental Health

• School-Related & Academic Concerns

• Social & Emotional Development

• Grief & Loss

• Communication Skills

• Coping Skills

• Parenting & Family Support

• Crisis & Safety Concerns

• LGBTQ+ Affirming Mental Health Care

• Culturally Responsive Therapy

• Personal Growth & Self-Discovery

Therapeutic Modalities

• Trauma-Informed Care

  Jazmin approaches therapy with an understanding of how trauma and difficult life experiences can influence emotions, behaviors, relationships, and a person’s sense of safety.

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Techniques

  DBT-informed interventions may be used to strengthen emotional regulation, coping, communication, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills.

• Narrative Therapy

  Jazmin helps clients explore the stories they have developed about themselves and their experiences while identifying strengths and creating space for new perspectives.

• Family Systems Approach

  Recognizing that individuals exist within families, relationships, communities, and larger systems, Jazmin considers how these dynamics may influence a client’s experiences and emotional well-being.

• Play-Based Interventions

  When clinically appropriate for younger clients, Jazmin incorporates developmentally appropriate play-based techniques to support emotional expression, communication, problem-solving, and skill development.

• Creative & Art-Based Interventions

• Jazmin may incorporate creative therapeutic activities to help children and adolescents express emotions and explore experiences that may be difficult to communicate verbally.

• Strengths-Based & Client-Centered Care

  Treatment builds upon each client’s existing strengths, abilities, values, and resources while keeping the client’s individual goals at the center of therapy.

  
  

Education & Credentials

• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

• Master of Social Work (MSW) — Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College

Client Focus

• Children

• Adolescents & Teens

• Adults

• Individuals

• Couples

• Families

• Black & Brown Communities

• LGBTQ+ Individuals

• Clients from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

• Children & Adolescents Experiencing School or Social-Emotional Challenges

• Families Navigating Stress, Conflict, or Life Transitions