As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Debra helps individuals, couples, and families experience less distress, build fulfilling relationships, and live more satisfying lives.
Debra specialized in marriage counseling/couples therapy. Using the Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy model, she coaches couples in creating the emotional safety to connect, bond and maintain their love relationship. She has received advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and is a member of the International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: www.iceeft.com/
Debra is also an EMDR specialist who assists individuals, couples, families and children in healing the effects of past trauma by using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing). Nationally certified in EMDR through the EMDR International Association, Debra is currently completing training as an EMDR Approved Consultant through EMDR International Association and is a member of EMDRIA: www.emdria.org
Family sessions with Debra are often scheduled when: there is a need to address an immediate problem within the family: family patterns of interaction are maintaining problems for an individual client: and /or during a family crisis. Among others, Bowenian Family Therapy and Brief Solution Focused Therapy are two models she uses in working with families assisting members in learning the new behavior changes which lead to increased family functioning. In working with children, Debra employs creative and age appropriate therapies including EMDR and Sand Play Therapy.
Debra offers both supervision and consultation services for mental health clinicians. As an Approved Supervisor for Marriage and Family Therapy, Deb provides individual supervision for Marriage and Family Therapists working towards licensure. She also provides consultation services for licensed clinicians who are in Basic Training for EMDR, and/or are currently using EMDR in their therapy practice. EMDR consultations are scheduled either as individual sessions or part of an ongoing consultation process group.
Debra is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Oregan (T1132) and a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist in the State Maryland (LCM 378) and a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: www.aamft.org