Washington Falls Psychotherapy

At Washington Falls Psychotherapy & Consultation, we offer a range of services aimed at helping individuals and families navigate life's challenges. Our team, led by Dr. Debra Nackman, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 35 years of experience, specializes in working with children, adolescents, and their families. Dr. Nackman's extensive experience and expertise include behavioral problems, attention and impulse difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders, depression and anxiety, peer and relationship difficulties, separation and divorce, regulatory difficulties, and trauma.

Education & Experience

Dr. Nackman's educational background includes a Ph. D. from the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., an APA-approved program in Clinical Psychology, with her dissertation defended with distinction in 1984. She also holds an M.A. from the same university, awarded in 1982, and a B.A. from Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, with High Honors and membership in Phi Beta Kappa, awarded in 1979. Her experience spans over three decades, with licensure in Virginia since 1987 and an active private practice in the Falls Church area since then. She has worked with Fairfax County, providing mental health services to a diverse population of children and their families, and was one of the original therapists on the innovative Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Program initiated by Fairfax County in 1998.

Services Offered

We provide psychotherapy for clients of all ages, focusing on relationship issues, struggles with depression and anxiety, separation and divorce, parenting concerns, and issues related to the family of origin. For children, we address behavioral problems, attention and impulse difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders, depression and anxiety, peer and relationship difficulties, separation and divorce, regulatory difficulties, and trauma. Our specially equipped playroom in the office allows younger clients to express their feelings through play, and parent work is an integral component of the therapy. Treatment plans are developed to integrate various therapeutic modalities and techniques, including behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic approaches, to help individuals identify and change troubling recurring patterns.

SEPARATION & DIVORCE

Dr. Nackman has completed training in the Collaborative Divorce Process and is an active colleague in this field. Collaborative Divorce is a relatively new and exciting approach that focuses on resolving divorce disputes in a constructive and respectful manner, with the goal of minimizing conflict and protecting the well-being of all parties involved.