Meet Naama Malkesman, LICSW: Expert Child Therapy at MCG

About Naama

Therapy languages: English, Hebrew

Pronouns: she/her

Naama Malkesman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, specializing in treating preschool and school-aged children and younger adolescents who are struggling with anxiety, OCD, phobias, and other emotional and behavioral regulation difficulties. She also supports children, adolescents, and families through life stresses from divorce and other losses to school and social challenges.

Trained in Psychodynamic, Family Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Play Therapy methods and Systemic approaches to therapy, Naama tailors her interventions to the needs of her clients and is committed to integrative approach, involving the family in the therapeutic process. In so doing, she works strategically with children, parents, and schools in order to leverage multiple pathways for teaching new skills, fostering children’s emotional well-being and secure relationships with the important adults around them. Naama’s interests and specialties include anxiety, behavioral and emotional challenges, social- emotional development and parenting.

Naama holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work from Tel-Aviv University in Israel.  She has completed post-graduate seminars in early childhood with the Washington School of Psychiatry and in various topics related to ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, Behavioral Challenges, Mindfulness practice, and Play Therapy methods. 

In addition, Naama is a certified PCIT (Parent – Child Interaction Therapy) therapist. PCIT is an evidence-based treatment that has been found to be effective for young children struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges, impulsivity and anxiety. This dyadic intervention, empowers parents by teaching skills and providing in-vivo coaching to increase children’s emotional regulation, enhance cooperation and compliance and reduce anxiety.

Prior to MCG, Naama worked at Family Compass, a private group psychotherapy practice in Reston, VA. Previously, Naama worked at the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA), where she provided individual therapy to young children and their families, in addition to being JSSA’s liaison to preschools in Northern Virginia and Washington DC, providing parental consultations and classroom management support to teachers and directors. Furthermore, Naama has a vast experience working with foster children and their families as a social worker at Family Matters of Greater Washington, developing treatment plans, and providing clinical support and comprehensive evaluations to family court.

Preceding her arrival to the US, Naama worked as certified clinical social worker in her native Israel, providing psycho-social evaluations to family court in matters of custody, family visitation and other family matters. In addition, she worked at the Family and Couple Therapy Center, where she provided psychotherapy to children and families struggling with life stress, relationships and emotional and behavioral challenges.

Naama believes that change and personal growth occur when children feel accepted and connected while, at the same time, parents feel understood and empowered. Using empathy and validation, Naama teaches children practical tools needed to enjoy meaningful relationships; make sense of their thoughts; effectively communicate and cope with their emotions; manage stress and adjust to change; find new ways of thinking; problem solving and handling conflict; increase their self-awareness, self-control, and feel good about who they are. In her work with parents, Naama focuses on helping them recognize and expand on their strengths, connect positively with their children, and feel empowered, not just by helping parents survive difficult parenting moments, but supporting them in a way that enhance resilience and lets their children thrive.