ABOUT ME
Hello! My name is Debora (she/her) and I go by Deb, nice to meet you! I am a Bilingual (Spanish Speaking) Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in the State of California. I have been in the field of mental health and social services since 1998. For my undergraduate education I went to the University of California, Irvine and graduated with two degrees. The first a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Behavior the second a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law and Society, both from the School of Social Ecology. I then graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a Master of Science in Counseling with an Emphasis in Marriage & Family Therapy. My passion for helping others has traversed several types of work places in the world of social services and non-profits for over 25 years. I have been a case manager for pregnant & parenting teens, a family preservation social worker, and an advocate social worker at a non-profit legal organization. For 15 years I assisted clients as a medical advocate, social worker and therapist with clients and families who were learning to cope with HIV/AIDS. When you boil all this down, what I bring to the dynamic of a therapeutic session is a rich and diverse knowledge base, and a kind, warm, empathic approach. I provide services online and in-person.
MY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH
Just like each client is a different person and has different needs, I approach each client uniquely. Broadly, I am a genuine, compassionate, and warm person and bring that into every session. I want my client's to know, in every session, you are getting a provider that puts them first. I am a humanistic therapist who also uses Gestalt, Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) as well as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Mindfulness. While this list of approaches is not comprehensive, I always meet my clients where they are at, while being an ally to empower them, help them heal, make necessary changes, and ultimately grow.
*Child Mind Institute 2016 Change Maker Awards, Honorable Mention, Local Hero
- https://childmind.org/campaign/2016-change-maker-awards/
*Positive Coaching Alliance Los Angeles Chapter WINNER -2019 Double-Goal Coach® Awards
- https://positivecoach.org/the-pca-blog/2019-double-goal-coach-award-national-finalists/
