Melanie Abbondola, M.A.

Melanie Abbondola is a clinical psychology extern at The Child & Family Institute (CFI), currently pursuing her Psy.D. in the APA-accredited Combined School-Clinical Child Psychology Program at Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. She holds an M.A. in General Psychology from Hunter College, CUNY, and a B.A. in Psychology and Health & Human Services from the University at Buffalo, SUNY, where she graduated summa cum laude with honors and distinction.

Melanie brings a strong foundation in evidence-based assessment and intervention for children, adolescents, and families. Her clinical experience spans school and outpatient settings, where she has provided individual counseling and conducted comprehensive psychoeducational and neuropsychological evaluations. She draws from cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and attachment-based frameworks, tailoring her approach to meet each client’s developmental and emotional needs.

Melanie’s therapeutic philosophy emphasizes collaboration, curiosity, and compassion. She aims to create a safe, validating space where clients feel empowered to explore their inner world and develop skills for emotional resilience. Her clinical interests include trauma-informed care, anxiety, emotional regulation, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on mental health and attachment.

Alongside her clinical training, Melanie is actively engaged in research exploring dyadic interventions within the child welfare system, mentalization-based treatments for children, and the long-term effects of ACEs on attachment and resilience. She has presented original research on relational aggression in early childhood and contributed to systematic reviews on perinatal mood disorders.

Melanie is an associate member of the National Register of Health Service Psychologists and a student affiliate of the Westchester Psychological Association. She continues to grow as a clinician through ongoing training, supervision, and research involvement, most recently by gaining a National Register Associate Certificate in forensic psychology.