Dr. Karen Wachtel is a clinical psychologist on Long Island, New York who specializes in anxiety, relationship issues, life transitions, and parenting concerns, including general support for first-time parents.
After receiving her B.A. from Brown University, Dr. Wachtel worked as a counselor at the Manville School, a school affiliated with Harvard Medical School, for children with emotional and/or learning difficulties. She subsequently worked on a research study at Brown University’s Bradley Hospital, where she studied early child development, temperament, and mother-child interactions.
Dr. Wachtel received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts. During these years she worked as a therapist at the University's Counseling Center, helping students struggling with mood, anxiety, PTSD, and learning difficulties. She additionally worked with children, adults, and families at a community mental health center. Throughout graduate school, Dr. Wachtel continued to study parent-child interactions and factors that impact children's social-emotional well-being. After obtaining her Ph.D., Dr. Wachtel spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the Manhattan Learning Center of the Jewish Board of Family and children's Services (JBFCS). At JBFCS she focused on conducting psychological and neuropsychological evaluations with children, adolescents, and young adults and consulted with parents about how to best help their children.
Dr. Wachtel's continued interest in supporting new and overwhelmed parents led her to seek training in treating anxiety and depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. She has earned training certificates from Postpartum Support International and the Postpartum Stress Center. Dr. Wachtel is the mother of two children herself, and enjoys working collaboratively with parents in a non-judgmental, supportive manner.
Another of Dr. Wachtel's specialties is working with college students negotiating the transition from home to college and young adults dealing with relationship and career issues.
In addition to her private practice, Dr. Wachtel also regularly consults with school districts and assists in conducting evaluations for them. She continues to attend professional trainings in areas such as postpartum depression, executive functioning disorders, and integrative therapy. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Postpartum Support International, The Women's Mental Health Consortium, and the Nassau County Psychological Association.
