Dr. Karen Wachtel, Ph.D.
About
Clinical Psychologist in Great Neck, NY
I’m a clinical psychologist in Great Neck, NY providing compassionate, evidence-based care for adults, parents, couples, and families. I offer warm, collaborative, and practical support tailored to your unique concerns, whether that involves anxiety, relationship challenges, parenting stress, or questions about learning and development.
My Approach
People often come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, unsure where to start, or frustrated that what they’ve tried hasn’t helped. My goal is to offer a space that feels thoughtful, grounded, and supportive where we can slow things down, make sense of what’s going on, and work toward meaningful change in a way that feels realistic and manageable.
I work collaboratively and integrate insight-oriented work with practical, evidence-based strategies, taking an active and flexible approach focused on meaningful and sustainable change. Whether we are focusing on emotional regulation, relationship dynamics, parenting concerns, or developmental questions, I aim to help you feel more clarity, steadiness, confidence, and self-compassion as you move forward.
Training and Experience
I received my B.A. from Brown University and my doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts. Early in my career, I participated in research on early development and parent–child interactions, and this focus has carried over to my clinical work. During graduate school, I also worked at a university counseling center and a community mental health center, supporting teenagers, young adults, and adults with mood, anxiety, trauma, and transitional stress.
I completed my internship at the Manhattan VA Hospital, where I worked with veterans coping with PTSD and adjustment concerns. ​
Specialized Training and Clinical Focus
After earning my Ph.D., I completed a postdoctoral fellowship focused on psychological and neuropsychological assessment at the Manhattan Learning Center of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services. There, I evaluated children, adolescents, and young adults to better understand their learning profiles, and collaborated with parents and schools to develop meaningful, individualized, recommendations.
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Becoming a mother, including navigating early medical challenges with my own child, deepened my understanding of the stress and uncertainty many parents experience. This eventually led me to pursue additional training in maternal mental health through Postpartum Support International and the Postpartum Stress Center. I continue ongoing professional training in areas including maternal mental health, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, executive functioning challenges, mindful parenting, and SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), an evidence-based treatment developed at the Yale Child Study Center.
Outside of Work
I live in Nassau County with my husband, and am the parent of 2 loving, quirky, young-adult sons. Being a parent has shaped both my personal life and my professional perspective, reinforcing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to relationships, family, life or growth.
Professional Associations and Certifications
I am a member of the American Psychological Association, Postpartum Support International, the Women’s Mental Health Consortium, and the Nassau County Psychological Association
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