Licensed to practice in California and accepts 27 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Coping Skills, LGBTQ and 10 more.
(he/him)
My name is Deems and I'm an LCSW. I am heavily CBT and DBT based but as with most therapists, I draw from a lot of places depending on the situation. I am casual, chatty, eclectic in both my work and my personal interests, and am big on transparency and accountability. Queer and Poly friendly. Big nerd. Dad. I like art, the gym, reading, and going overboard on a new hobby every 6 months.
The first session is a get-to-know-you meeting for both of us. We're mostly seeing if you're comfortable talking to me. I will blah-blah for about ten minutes reading you the boilerplate script of things I should and am required to say, legal and policy advisements and the like. The rest, we'll talk with a focus on getting to know each other. I need to know where we're starting, and you need to know whether we're a fit and you want to come back, because whether we get along is a big factor in how well everything works.
I am relaxed, flexible, ethical, and hard to shock. I don't have any problems changing approaches or focus when the situation calls for it. I am a person people can relax around: You can be yourself, you can swear, you can be a regular person. I am also the person in my house who eats all the end pieces of the loaf of bread.
I work with just about everybody on just about everything. The profile lets you select a limited number of issues you work with. I have worked a lot with anxiety, boundaries, depression, PTSD, substance use, ADHD, personality disorders, and many other issues in private practice as well as having experience with severe mood and psychotic disorders from my time working in government programs. If you want to be here, and you want to change something, we can work on it. If you don't, that's what we need to talk about.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cash - $120 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
AvMed
Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
IHSS Healthy Workers
L.A. Care Covered
L.A. Care Covered Direct
L.A. Care PASC-SEIU
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
Sutter Health Plan
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have used CBT in multiple private and institutional settings. It is useful in reducing symptoms by helping you to learn better ways of coping, as well as changing patterns of thinking and behavior.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy helps you learn better ways to cope, and skills for managing unhealthy or problematic efforts to control intense, negative emotions.
12 ratings with written reviews
February 12, 2026
I had a great intake with Deems, he was kind and very personable. He already had some good insights in our first session and I will continue treatment with him.
October 7, 2025
Had a great first session with Deems and looking forward to continue working with him!
September 10, 2025
He focuses on what is currently going on in my life and the baby steps it takes to achieve a better environment in my life.