Child CBT — Evidence-based therapy for children to young adults

About

Dr. Melanie Brown

Compassionate, Research-Informed Care for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

Biography

A warm, supportive environment for evidence-informed care

Choosing the right therapist for your child or family is an important decision. Child CBT provides a warm, supportive environment where children, adolescents, young adults, and their families feel understood while receiving individualized, evidence-informed care.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Brown has specialized in helping young people overcome anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, depression, ADHD, and other emotional and behavioral challenges. Therapy should be compassionate, collaborative, and practical — helping young people build the skills and confidence they need to thrive.

  • Licensed Clinical Psychologist (Ph.D.)
  • More than 20 years of clinical experience in therapy and psychological testing
  • Specializing in children, adolescents, and young adults
  • Scientist-practitioner approach
  • Extensively trained in evidence-based therapies: CBT, ERP, FBT, DBT
  • Expertise in psychopharmacology (MSCP)
  • Certification in FBT and CBT-AR for youth eating disorders
  • Certification in CBT for anxiety disorders (Beck Institute)
  • Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT)/PSYPACT
  • Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai (Voluntary Faculty)
  • Author, researcher, educator, and clinical supervisor
Portrait of Dr. Melanie Brown
Melanie Brown, PhD, MSCP · Licensed Clinical Psychologist
“Therapy should be compassionate, collaborative, and practical.”

Approach

Scientist-practitioner care

Dr. Brown practices as a psychologist within the scientist-practitioner model, integrating the latest research with extensive clinical experience. Every treatment plan is individualized — recognizing that each child, adolescent, and family has unique strengths, challenges, and goals.

Dr. Brown's approach is warm, collaborative, and skill focused. She works closely with young people and their families to help them better understand their experiences, develop effective coping strategies, and create meaningful, lasting change.

Areas of expertise

Evidence-based treatment for

  • Anxiety disorders: social anxiety, separation anxiety, worry, panic, phobias, perfectionism
  • Eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Depression
  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Emotional and behavioral concerns
  • School-related challenges
  • Parent consultation and support

Collaborative care

Working together for better outcomes

Children benefit when everyone involved in their care works together. With parent permission, Dr. Brown collaborates closely with pediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists, medical specialists, dietitians, school professionals, and other healthcare providers to ensure coordinated, comprehensive care.

Education & professional background

Experience that informs every session

Education

  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Duke University
  • Master of Arts in Psychology (M.A.), Fairfield University
  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Ph.D.), APA Accredited, Fairleigh Dickinson University
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Eating and Weight Disorders Program
  • Postdoctoral Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology (MSCP), Fairleigh Dickinson University

Clinical Training

  • Kings County Hospital Center, APA Accredited Psychology Internship, Child/Adolescent Specialty, Brooklyn, NY
  • Weill Cornell Medical College/NewYork-Presbyterian, Child Psychology, Westchester, NY
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Eating and Weight Disorders Program
  • Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy, Private Practice, NY, NY

Professional Appointments

  • Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, NY
  • Director of Professional Development and Supervision, Senior Psychologist, Sasco River Center, Darien, CT

In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Brown has authored research publications and book chapters, presented at national and international conferences, taught graduate-level courses in CBT and psychological research, and supervised doctoral students in clinical psychology.

Publications

Selected articles and book chapters

Articles

  • Coleman, M.S., Winter E. L., Brown, M., McCleary, A., Rahmanou, R. (2026) ARFID: Building Awareness and Action. Communique, 54, 17-20.
  • Chen, X., Schulz, K. P., Sysko, R., Brown, M., Levy, I., & Hildebrandt, T. (2025). A Pilot fMRI Study of Decision-Making Under Uncertainty in Anorexia Nervosa. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/msz2a_v1
  • Brown, M., Hochman, A. & Micali, N. (2020). Emotional instability as a trait risk factor for eating disorder behaviours in adolescents: Sex differences in a large-scale prospective study. Psychological Medicine, 50, 1783-1794.
  • Brown, M., & Hildebrandt, T. (2019). Parent-facilitated behavioral treatment for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A case report. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 27, 231-251.
  • Barona, M., Brown, M., Clark, C. A., Frangou, S., White, T. J., & Micali, N. (2019). White matter alterations in anorexia nervosa: Evidence from a voxel-based meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.002
  • Brown, M., Loeb, K. L., McGrath, R., Zucker, N., Carlin, A. (2018). Executive functioning and central coherence in anorexia nervosa: Pilot investigation of a neurocognitive endophenotype. European Eating Disorders Review, 26, 489-498.
  • Brown, M., Robinson, L., Campione, G.C., Wuensch, K., Hildebrandt, T., & Micali, N. (2017). Intolerance of uncertainty in eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Eating Disorders Review, 25, 329-343.
  • Faust, J. P., Goldschmidt, A. B., Anderson, K. E., Glunz, C., Brown, M., Loeb, K. L., ... & Le Grange, D. (2013). Resumption of menses in anorexia nervosa during a course of family-based treatment. Journal of Eating Disorders, 1, 12.
  • Brown, M., Cachelin, F. M., & Dohm, F. (2009). Eating disorders in ethnic minority groups: A review of the emerging literature. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 5, 182-193.

Book Chapters

  • Loeb, K. L., Brown, M., & Munk Goldstein, M. (2011). Assessment of eating disorders in children and adolescents. In D. le Grange and J. Lock (Eds.), Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Clinical Handbook. Guilford Press: New York.
  • Dohm, F., Brown, M., Cachelin, F. M., & Striegel-Moore, R. (2010). Ethnicity, disordered eating and body image. In H. Landrine & N. F. Russo (Eds.), Handbook of Diversity in Feminist Psychology. New York: Springer.

Ready to learn more?

Whether working with a young child experiencing anxiety, a teenager struggling with OCD or an eating disorder, or a young adult navigating life's transitions, our goal is compassionate, scientifically informed care that helps each individual and family make meaningful change toward a happy, healthy life.

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