Dr. Foresteen Forbes has been in practice 23 years and is licensed in California. Dr. lists relationship issues, family conflicts and parenting issues among 34 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Dr.'s own
BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by
Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a
rating.
23years in practice
34subjects listed
4approaches listed
01 · Who Dr. works with
Dr. works with relationship issues, family conflicts and parenting issues
Dr. lists 12 specialisms and 22 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Dr. chose to list first, which is the closest a listing
gets to “this is my actual practice”.
Specialisms
Relationship issues
Family conflicts
Parenting issues
Self esteem
Stress, Anxiety
Trauma and abuse
Grief
Eating disorders
Anger management
Bipolar disorder
Depression
Coping with life changes
Also experienced with
Adoption and foster care
Antisocial personality
Avoidant personality
Blended family issues
Commitment issues
Communication problems
Dependent personality
Family problems
Fatherhood issues
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
Hoarding
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Infidelity
Isolation / loneliness
Life purpose
Midlife crisis
Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Narcissism
Paranoia
Personality disorders
Young adult issues
02 · In Dr.'s own words
What Dr. says about the work
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
Hello and welcome!
I am a psychologist licensed in California with over 20 years of experience. I received my BS in Nursing from BIOLA University. I was a Navy Nurse for 31/2 years and served in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. I earned my doctorate in psychology from Azusa Pacific University. I worked in a state hospital for 15 years specializing in adults with a history of childhood trauma. I also specialize in relationship issues, parenting problems and personality disorders. My treatment approach consists of
Cognitive Behavioral therapy(CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Attachment-based therapy and aims to build or rebuild a trusting, supportive relationship that will help prevent or treat anxiety or depression. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs.
It takes courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps toward change. If you are ready to take that step I am here to support and empower you.
I look forward to working with you!
Dr. Foresteen Forbes, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026
03 · How Dr. works
The 4 approaches Dr. lists, in plain English
These are the clinical methods Dr. lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not
Dr.'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 Dr. 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.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Works on the assumption that current patterns - in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself - have a history, and that seeing the history loosens the pattern. Less structured than CBT, usually longer, and more interested in what comes up unbidden than in a weekly agenda.
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.
04 · What happens next
From this page to a first session
Dr. 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
Dr.'s own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
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 Dr. at this point.
Naming Dr. specifically
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Dr. 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
Dr..
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.
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.
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
4 questions worth asking Dr.
Built from what Dr. actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic.
Maker Therapy's, not Dr.'s - Dr. 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.
“With 23 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”
Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.
“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
Psychologist
Licensed in
California
Licence
CA Psychologist 21049
Licence number
21049
Licence expires
30 Nov 2027
NPI
1952429342
Years in practice
23
Gender
Female
Languages
English
International clients
Accepted
Listed since
15 May 2026
07 · Provenance
Where every line on this page came from
Dr.'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 Dr.. 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.
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