The Professionals

McLean Counseling Center

As a tight-knit group of mental health professionals, we’re passionate about providing counseling and treatment to individuals and families navigating mental health or emotional conflicts in their personal or professional lives.

We place patient care at the forefront of everything we do. We’ll meet with you, listen to your concerns, and use cutting-edge medical and psychological knowledge to create a personalized treatment plan to address your concerns. Along the way, we foster warm relationships with each patient, closely monitoring patient progress to support each individual’s well-being and happiness.

Arlington VA Psychiatrist Nurse Practitioner Atina

Bobby W. Nelson, M.D., D.L.F.A.P.A.

Board-Certified Psychiatrist
Doctor of Medicine, Medical College of Virginia (now part of Virginia Commonwealth
University)

Education & Background
After completing my schooling, I served as an officer in the United States Public Health Service at the NIMH Clinical Research Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Later, I returned to my alma mater, the Medical College of Virginia, to complete a residency in psychiatry. Since then, I’ve been in continuous practice. I’ve also held several positions in the Psychiatric Society of Virginia, including serving as President. After years of involvement, I was granted the title Distinguished Life Fellow. Thanks to these connections, I continue to gather knowledge from my peers and my patients.

Psychiatry Practice
I have practiced adult psychotherapy in individual and couple’s settings for over 47 years. By using a variety of therapeutic approaches, I’m able to adapt to the needs of each individual case.

Over the years, my work has increasingly focused on the central and often-overlooked factors of expectation, resentment, and loneliness, which play heavily into human suffering. By identifying these, I can help patients face those emotions and overcome the obstacles they present. I also focus on helping patients notice how habits developed in childhood may play into their current symptoms. Increasing self-awareness in these habits can be extremely helpful, especially where unresolved childhood issues can lead to anger, depression, or anxiety.

I enjoy helping patients break through inter-personal communication barriers, both in their personal lives and when seeking psychiatric care. My prior work supervising psychiatric residents opened my eyes to the problems that can come about from language assumptions between patient and therapist. I’ve dedicated much of my practice to finding therapeutic ways to overcome those hurdles.

Contact Us

(703) 821-1073

admin@mcleancounselingcenter.com

1307 Vincent Place McLean, VA 22101

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