Hi, I’m deborah (she/her)
It was through my own trauma healing journey that I fell in love with the transformational power of modalities like EMDR and IFS. These modalities support deep inner work that ripples out into all parts of our life. My journey has been one of returning to my body, learning the immense wisdom and complex intelligence it holds, and releasing what is not mine to carry. We are inherently equipped with the ability to unburden and rewire the patterning of our past. We “simply” need to unlock our natural healing capacity. That’s where I come in!
My commitment to healing is lifelong -it’s more than a job, it’s a vocation. I have found that our internal systems contain all the answers we need to find our way back to our original blueprint. I rest first in the knowledge that you are not broken and you do not need to be fixed - by me or by anyone else. Rather, I am trained in tools to help guide you back to your own knowing and healing capacities. My approach is collaborative, non-pathologizing, and non-judgemental. I focus on the way our culture and life experiences have impacted our thoughts, beliefs, postures, nervous system, and emotions. From there, we can work back to the formative memories, emotional charges, and somatic experiences that have influenced you. We can celebrate your unique qualities and witness and unburden what does not belong in your system. This results in feeling lighter, more whole, and more able to lead your life from your embodied truth rather than outworn patterns.
Healing is not about becoming someone new — it’s about returning to yourself.
My Approach
EMDR ThErapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that supports the brain and nervous system’s natural processes to heal from distressing or traumatic experiences that feel “stuck” or overwhelming. EMDR is different than talk therapy and focuses on accessing the visuals, sensations, and emotions of past experiences while using bilateral stimulation (eye movement or tapping) to ground in the present and release the emotional and somatic charge from the memory. This process changes the location of where our traumatic memories are stored in the brain, from more primal and emotional centers of the brain to more time-oriented and rational centers of the brain. EMDR is effective in relatively short periods of time and can result in reduction of triggers and lasting emotional relief. Over time, clients often feel more grounded, resilient, and less reactive in their day-to-day lives.
Somatic AWareness and Mindfulness
Mindfulness and somatic awareness–based therapy is a research-supported approach which emphasizes tuning into present-moment experience and the wisdom of the body. By gently noticing sensations, emotions, and thoughts without judgment, clients develop greater awareness of their internal states. This approach supports nervous system regulation, emotional clarity, and a deeper sense of grounding as clients learn to recognize, attend to, and regulate their responses as they arise. Over time, clients can feel more connected to themselves, more embodied, and better able to respond to life with intention rather than reactivity.
Internal Family Systems
IFS therapy is an evidence-based modality which posits that we each have a core Self that is not damaged by any of our life experiences. The Self is a place of calm, clarity, and inner leadership. We also contain a multitude of parts, or sub-personalities. Some parts can be buried and hold the pain of our wounds. Other parts have developed ways to protect against these wounds being triggered or overwhelming us. When our system sense a threat, these protective parts can take over our mind-body, utilize old patterns to cope, and blocking us from access to our true Self. As we get to know, understand, and appreciate the defense mechanisms of our protective parts with compassion and curiosity, we build trust and can eventually access the wounds that drive the compulsive nature of our protective mechanisms. As we unburden our wounds, we can also unburden false narratives, somatic patterns, and coping mechanisms that no longer serve us in present time. IFS is different from talk therapy and involves “going inward” to work with our inner world while being guided and witnessed by the therapist. Over time, clients report more self-awareness, more choice in the way they respond to their environment, and more lightness and freedom to live their life as they chose.
Polyvagal nervous system regulation
Polyvagal-informed therapy is a neuroscience-based approach that focuses on understanding and regulating the nervous system to support healing and connection. By increasing awareness of bodily responses to stress and connection, clients learn to work with their nervous system rather than against it. Through partnering with their nervous systems, clients can build greater capacity for regulation, resilience, and presence. Over time, this supports deeper emotional safety, improved relationships, and a stronger sense of well-being.
What a session might include
Checking in about your week and what feels most important to focus on
Grounding or resourcing to support regulation as needed
Processing “parts”, experiences, memories, or relational patterns at a pace that feels manageable
Building awareness of how your nervous system responds to stress, connection, and safety and what is coming up in the body as we process
Integrating insights so changes can carry into daily life
Some weeks we process deeply; other weeks we stabilize, integrate, or focus on present-day challenges. All of it counts.
My Specializations
Trauma, Complex Trauma, PTSD
Attachment Wounds
Death and Grief
Postpartum and Peripartum Mental Health
Depression
Anxiety
Highlights of my certifications, education, and trainings
COMING SPRING 2026 EMDR Certification
2026 LCSW independent therapy license (LCSW #137203)
2025 Integrated EMDR and IFS Model Training (20+ Hours)
2025 IFS Level 1 Training (90+ Hours)
2024-2025 EMDR Consultation Hours (20 Hours)
2024 EMDR Training (50 Hours)
2023 Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training (200+ Hours)
2023 ASW associate therapy license
2023 MSW from UC Berkeley
2022-2023 Internship in Peripartum Mental Health
2022-2023 Integrated Behavioral Health Training Fellowship Program
2021-2022 Internship in Grief Counseling
2012-2022 decade of experience as a teacher, facilitator, teacher trainer, adjunct professor, and curriculum writer in NY and CA
2014 MA in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education, graduated with Distinction and Faculty Award for Outstanding Teachers
2011 BA in International Development, minors in Philosophy and World Religions from McGill University