- 25 years experience
- California based LCSW
- Values focused care
About Debra
Debra Gionet is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting challenges, and questions about self worth. She works with individuals navigating career shifts, coping with life changes, and concerns linked to body image and codependency. Debra’s calm presence aims to make hard conversations easier to start.
She brings 25 years of practice in California to each session and blends practical skills with close listening. Debra adapts her style to the person in the room, offering straightforward tools for managing worry and building better communication. She also supports people dealing with fertility questions, pregnancy and childbirth concerns, and workplace strain.
Her approach draws on several methods, including cognitive behavioral ideas for changing patterns, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for values-based choices, and psychodynamic thinking to notice repeating relationship patterns. Debra also uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing when trauma memories are part of the picture. Sessions focus on small, usable steps and clearer choices rather than theory alone.
Debra offers a respectful, culturally aware space and can bring a Christian-informed perspective when requested. She works with people from a range of faith backgrounds and helps clients connect their values to their goals. Conversations cover practical life changes as well as deeper family of origin and attachment issues.
People who meet with Debra can expect help building coping skills, stronger boundaries, and more honest communication. She aims to walk alongside clients as they set and pursue meaningful goals.
Therapeutic approaches for online care
Debra often draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take actions that match those values, which can be useful for life transitions and relationship decisions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with small behavioral experiments to reduce anxiety and improve coping.She also uses psychodynamic ideas to notice how early patterns influence current relationships and choices. That perspective helps when people are dealing with family of origin issues, attachment questions, or repeating relationship dynamics. Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process; the therapist and client will explore goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful in early sessions.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It can also let people engage from a familiar setting and try techniques between meetings with guidance. The therapist will discuss the best way to work together and adapt methods to fit your schedule and needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She helps with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting challenges, self esteem, career matters, and coping with life changes, plus related issues like attachment, body image, and codependency.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is warm, practical, and collaborative. Sessions often mix skill-building with talk about patterns and values so clients can try things between meetings.
How much experience does she have?
She has 25 years of professional experience providing mental health support in California.
What credentials and location apply to this therapist?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, listed as LCSW, practicing in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work together with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, fill out a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.