Licensed to practice in California. Specializes in Anxiety, Chronic Illness, Older Adults and 9 more.
(she/her)
Welcome. I help clients navigate midlife and later life transitions. My goal is to help you feel as mentally and emotionally well as possible while moving through these changes with greater ease. I find it deeply rewarding to help clients discover meaning and fulfillment during these stages of their lives. In our sessions, I listen closely and support you as you work through challenges. I help you gain insight and develop practical psychological skills, so you feel less anxious and depressed, have more satisfying family relationships, thrive at work or enjoy retirement, and live in alignment with your values. I support clients who struggle with depression, anxiety, hormonal changes, and illness. I help people navigate challenging family relationships, caregiver burnout, grief, and career and retirement transitions. I also help clients overcome hoarding and overwhelming clutter. My experience includes directing the career counseling program at Stanford School of Medicine for 10 years.
In our first session, we’ll start with introductions. Our session focuses on getting to know each other, learning about what brought you to therapy, and clarifying your therapy goals. I offer a warm, compassionate, nonjudgemental space for you to be yourself.
My greatest strength is combining deep listening, compassion, thoughtful questioning, and psychological skill-building to help clients experience fewer symptoms and greater wellbeing. I enjoy helping clients identify their strengths and find solutions to their problems. Using CBT, mindfulness-based therapy, and ACT, I bring warmth, honesty, practicality, and a touch of humor to our sessions. For clients who value religion or spirituality, I support them in integrating their beliefs and practices into the therapy process.
My clients are people in midlife and later life who are committed to engaging in therapy consistently so they can feel less anxious and depressed and live more fulfilling lives. I help people navigate regret, loss, loneliness, and concerns about growing older. I also support clients struggling with menopause and andropause, chronic pain, major health conditions, and insomnia. I help those who wish to overcome hoarding and overwhelming clutter.
Through CBT, I help clients explore how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence one another. I support clients in noticing unhelpful thought patterns, challenging negative beliefs, and developing more balanced ways of thinking. By learning practical strategies and coping skills, clients feel more capable in managing life’s challenges and having healthy relationships.
Mindfulness helps people live more fully in the present, make intentional choices, and respond to life with calm rather than reactivity. Using Mindfulness-Based Therapy, I help clients become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations in the present moment -- I then guide them in simple mindfulness practices that can be used in daily life to manage stress and approach life with greater ease.
In my work with ACT, I help clients develop psychological flexibility, which is the ability to stay present, open, and adaptable even when difficult thoughts or emotions arise. I support clients in seeing themselves more clearly, accepting their emotions, stepping back from negativity, clarifying their values, and taking actions that move them toward a fulfilling life.
2 ratings with written reviews
May 21, 2026
Debra is warm and easy to talk to. She is a good listener. I will set a new appointment with her. I look forward to getting therapy with her She seems open minded and very compassionate
October 24, 2025
Debra has a good balance of listening and asking questions. She shows genuine concern and empathy. Her beautiful warm smile put me at ease from the start.