Debra Gionet

Debra Gionet is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California with 25 years of experience. She works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting pressures, self-esteem struggles, career uncertainty, and major life changes. She also addresses related concerns such as attachment issues, body image, codependency, and fertility-related stress.

Her approach blends several well-known methods. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people notice thoughts and try different behaviors. Client-centered work guides conversations so the client’s priorities shape the pace and focus. Psychodynamic ideas and EMDR are available when past patterns or trauma are central to the problem.

Sessions are conversational and practical. Debra helps people identify small, testable steps that fit day-to-day life. She works with parents facing pregnancy, childbirth, or young adult transitions, and with people navigating workplace or relationship conflicts. She can bring a Christian-informed perspective on request and also works with agnostic and other faith backgrounds.

Her background includes many years supporting people with eating and food-related issues, family of origin concerns, and communication problems. She focuses on skills for coping, clearer communication, and rebuilding direction after a change. Debra describes her work as collaborative and grounded in real-world solutions.

Clients preparing to start therapy are asked to use the site's matching and scheduling process. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time, and services are offered in English in California.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online sessions

Debra uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions tied to their values. ACT can help when someone feels stuck or unclear about purpose by focusing on meaningful next steps.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify patterns of thinking that keep problems going and to practice different, more helpful behaviors. CBT is often useful for anxiety, stress, workplace issues, and problems with self-esteem.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is used when past traumatic events are affecting present life. EMDR sessions aim to reduce the intensity of distressing memories and the ways those memories show up now.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will review your goals, history, and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. Decisions about approach are collaborative and can change as the work progresses.

Confirm the session formats available before booking, since the biography does not list specific formats. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, or allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Discuss practical preferences during the matching and scheduling steps so sessions match everyday life.