01 · Who Deanna works with

Deanna works with stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and grief

Deanna lists 14 specialisms and 14 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Deanna chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Deanna's own words

What Deanna says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

For many of us, it has been a significantly challenging few years. Wide spread grief across the nation due to multiple factors has taken a toll on mental health and overall everyday functioning. Old traumas have resurfaced and the needs of family, friends, colleagues, jobs, pets, partners in addition to supporting our own mental health needs can feel exhausting, an unclimbable hill if you will. It is a lot. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, coping with grief and loss, & depression. I am licensed in Maine and before joining BetterHelp, I worked in multiple schools throughout Maine and Massachusetts as a clinical social worker. This involved a lot of work with family systems and support to parents/caregivers/guardians. It also involved support to teachers and outside providers, discussing compassion fatigue, boundaries, adapted approaches to meet specific needs, and sometimes being a trusted ear to vent to. I have specific training in Trauma Systems Therapy which focuses on an individual’s emotional needs as well as the social environment in which the individual lives and functions in. It is a holistic approach that I find helps create the fullest picture of a person’s life so we are able to assess areas for strengthening and areas that are protective factors for the individual. My goal is to create a space that is yours, truly yours. I believe that you are the expert of your story. If this is your first time working with a therapist it will be a pleasure to work with you and I am excited for our journey. Congratulations to you for taking this first big step! If you are returning to therapy I would love to know what has been helpful and maybe what hasn’t been so helpful. Creating a safe environment with trust and understanding are key elements of the work we will be doing. I aim to lay the foundation for a strong trusting nonjudgmental therapeutic environment that is safe for all. I know that this can be an uncomfortable experience. I want you to know I am here with you and I appreciate your willingness to consider my support as we explore methods that best meet your needs.

Deanna (Dani) Minsky, on the BetterHelp listing · read 8 Nov 2026

03 · How Deanna works

The 5 approaches Deanna lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Deanna lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Deanna's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Deanna runs a session.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Deanna practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Deanna's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Deanna at this point.

2. Naming Deanna specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Deanna is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Deanna.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Deanna

Built from what Deanna actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Deanna's - Deanna has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Maine

Licence

ME LCSW LC18660

Licence number

LC18660

Licence expires

31 Oct 2028

NPI

1669997300

Years in practice

9

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Deanna's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 8 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Deanna. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.