Hi, I’m Deb,

I was born in Maryland and raised in a multicultural family: my Ukrainian-Polish Jewish grandparents, my Swedish mother, and my American father. I grew up in a multilingual & multigenerational household, impacted by war, migration, and unprocessed grief. Things were… complex, to put it gently. And feelings of disconnection left me confused about myself and lonely in ways I could never name.

I started my own therapy after college, and began a journey I could never have imagined. Hooked on psychology, I started working crisis lines, reading ravenously, and ultimately landed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where I supported & published research on disordered eating patterns among youth. I went on to earn my M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California.

Relationship therapist, Deborah Altman, smiling towards camera

The Work I Do

I’ve had the privilege of doing this work from D.C., to New York, LA, and now Reno. My training started in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and clinical research, but I quickly grew disillusioned by individualistic models that expect people to heal in isolation. Our sense of self doesn't get created in a vacuum, so why would we heal that way?

You don’t need another voice repeating coping skills or telling you to buy a program, app, or supplement. You need a guide who understands the messy intersections of your biology, history, and the broad web of systems and institutions that weren't always built for your safety.

Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. My approach is relational and integrative because life is integrative; you can’t separate your experience from the world you live in and relationships you’re tied to. I will never tell you to do more or add to your plate. I want you to release what holds you back, and build a life where you feel anchored, resilient, and connected to your body and your people.

Helping anyone who feels disconnected find their way back to themselves, and to each other.

Trauma-informed.

Evidence-based.

Client-centered.

Deb Altman, marriage and family therapist in Reno, sitting on a beige armchair near a window with white blinds, inside a cozy therapy office, smiling softly.

Why I Love What I Do

At the heart of my work is a deep belief in the healing power of presence, self-compassion, and reconnection - to ourselves, each other, and the natural world. I see therapy as a space where you don’t have to pretend, perform, or minimize your pain. Here, you can be messy, uncertain, grieving, angry, raw, and still worthy of care.

Healing doesn’t follow a straight line. We can’t rush growth. Here, we trust the unfolding.

I love this work because I get to watch people finally learn that they are allowed to be messy. I love seeing a couple move from 'polite roommates' back into real, raw connection. I love seeing someone finally put down the weight of their family’s expectations and ask, 'Who am I, actually?'

I’m guided by a love for the earth and a deep commitment to climate and collective justice. My work is grounded in a liberation-oriented approach to care - one that honors your individual experience while recognizing the larger systems we’re all navigating.

Outside of the therapy room, you’ll find me hiking, listening to history podcasts, reading nerdy psychology books, jamming to new wave or ABBA, & watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls & Scrubs.

Advanced Therapy Trainings

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Basic Training

Somatic Experiencing (SE)™: Training in progress

Somatic CBT Practitioner: The Embody Lab

Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO): IFS Institute Online Circle

Discernment Counseling: Doherty Relationship Institute (In-Progress)

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Core Skills

Gender-Affirming Care: Assessment & Letter writing for medical interventions