Debbie Blackburn, Ph.D.

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A native of Richmond, Dr. Debbie Blackburn has provided individual and family therapy and psychological assessment of children and adults for more than 30 years in her home community. She integrates developmental psychology, a science-based understanding of trauma, and a family systems perspective into her clinical work. Dr. Blackburn is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy, an evidence-based treatment for PTSD in adults and is a certified Circle of Security® therapist. She has a specific interest in working with adults who have experienced trauma and desire to better understand how those experiences have impacted their life and relationships. Helping adults make sense of their own history so they can enjoy and deepen their relationships with their children is her overarching professional goal. As mother of three grown children, Dr. Blackburn has a genuine appreciation for the significance of the parent-child relationship and is dedicated to supporting and encouraging RVA families.

Dr. Blackburn was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Virginia where she also earned her Masters and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology. She completed her internship at the Medical College of Georgia and then returned to Richmond in 1989 joining the psychiatry faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Dr. Blackburn continues to teach and supervise psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows. She is passionate about high caliber training and mentoring of mental health professionals and brings that commitment to her position as Executive Director at Partners in Parenting, PC.