01 · Who Deborah works with

Deborah works with stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and self esteem

Deborah lists 12 specialisms and 16 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Deborah chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Deborah's own words

What Deborah says about the work

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

I'm a licensed therapist in California dedicated to supporting individuals through life's most challenging moments. I work with clients across the lifespan, bringing compassion and expertise to a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, stress, family conflicts, and self-esteem challenges.

My therapeutic approach is grounded in evidence-based practices and tailored to meet each person's unique needs. I specialize in helping clients navigate communication difficulties, social anxiety, isolation, grief from divorce and separation, caregiver stress, mood disorders, and women's health concerns. I also work with clients exploring forgiveness, self-love, codependency patterns, adoption and foster care experiences, and relationship dynamics including polyamorous and non-monogamous relationships.

I'm particularly skilled at supporting individuals managing chronic pain and illness, postpartum challenges, and ADHD-related concerns. My approach honors your values and beliefs, creating a safe, respectful space where you feel truly heard and supported.

I believe therapy works best when built on genuine connection and collaboration. My role is to walk alongside you with care, curiosity, and commitment as you work toward meaningful change and healing. Taking this first step takes courage, and I'm honored to support you on your journey.

Deborah Sterling, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Deborah works

The 7 approaches Deborah lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Deborah lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Deborah'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 Deborah runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

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.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

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.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

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.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Also listed

• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Deborah 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 Deborah'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 Deborah at this point.

2. Naming Deborah specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Deborah 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 Deborah.

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 Deborah

Built from what Deborah actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Deborah's - Deborah 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

California

Licence

CA LCSW 60078

Licence number

60078

Licence expires

31 Jan 2027

NPI

1609330554

Years in practice

7

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Deborah'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 9 Oct 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 Deborah. 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.