About Me
Welcome! My name is Dr. Melina Cavazos, and I specialize in working with children, adolescents, young adults, parents, and families in addressing anxiety-related difficulties. I also enjoy working with clients experiencing relationship challenges, resistance/defiance, life transition difficulties, and provide trauma-informed care, as needed.
I have a range of experience in various settings, including community mental health clinics, schools, private practice clinics, and outpatient psychiatric clinics. I also have extensive experience providing psychological, psychoneurological, and psychoeducational assessment, as well as academic and behavioral interventions. I found my passion and further specialized in anxiety disorders during my postdoctoral fellowship, where I treated individuals with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g., skin-picking, hair-pulling), perfectionism, and co-occurring depression.
Therapeutic Approach
I understand that therapy can be a vulnerable experience. My therapeutic style combines warmth and empathy to build a strong and collaborative relationship throughout the treatment process. I help my clients meet their therapeutic goals using highly effective and well-researched approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. Additionally, trauma focused CBT (TF-CBT), and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) are also utilized in my work with clients, when appropriate. I believe in building upon clients’ values and strengths while providing strategies that are helpful in managing symptoms. Working with individuals within the client’s system, such as parents, teachers, and other medical professionals, can also be an important component of treatment when appropriate, and my training in school psychology has equipped me with an understanding of the school system and educational services.
Melina Cavazos, Ph.D.
Psychologist
She/Her
Educational & Professional Background
Licenses & Certifications
Personal Interests
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband while exploring the Austin food scene, drinking boba tea, tending to my growing plant collection, and playing with our (mischievous) dachshund named Pancake.