Hello, I’m Debra

What I believe

I believe every person has an innate capacity for healing. My role isn’t to tell you who you should become. It’s to help you uncover the strength, wisdom, and wholeness that are already yours. Healing is more than symptom relief: it’s the gradual return of feeling present, connected, alive, and at home in yourself. That’s why my work brings together trauma-focused therapies informed by neuroscience and the depth psychology and contemplative practice that honor the whole person.

My path

Two long paths have shaped me, and they eventually met. The first is clinical. I’ve been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1996 and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor since 2005. I earned my master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis in Depth Psychology, from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and I also hold a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Brandeis University.

The second is contemplative. I began my spiritual journey more than fifty years ago, first as a student and later as a teacher of meditation. I’ve lived and traveled extensively in South Asia, followed a Buddhist path for more than forty years, and today also draw on Jungian psychology, the New Thought movement, and other wisdom traditions.

Two distinct roles: therapist and mentor

I offer two distinct services, and each is held with its own clear agreement about purpose and scope, so you always know what kind of support you’re receiving.

Choose therapy when you want clinical support for your mental health or your relationships. Choose spiritual mentoring when you want to explore your spiritual life and practices. Spiritual questions can also be welcome in therapy when they matter to your goals. Not sure which fits? We’ll talk it through in your free consultation.

I also offer clinical supervision and consultation for associate clinicians and licensed therapists.

Credentials at a glance

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, State of Oregon
• LMFT since 1996 · AAMFT Approved Supervisor since 2005
• MA, Counseling Psychology (Depth Psychology emphasis), Pacifica Graduate Institute
• MFA, Acting, Brandeis University
• Advanced training over three decades in EMDR, Brainspotting, the Flash Technique, Internal Family Systems, EFT (tapping), DBT, MBSR, Milan Family Therapy, and dreamwork
• Influenced by Jungian psychology and Family Systems Theory
• More than forty years of study and practice of meditation and contemplative traditions, including teaching meditation to individuals and groups
• Thirty years helping individuals, couples, and families heal from trauma and navigate life’s transitions