Profile / United States
Deana Porter, LMFT
California
LMFT - relationships and trauma
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Relationship skills
- Trauma and attachment
About Deana
Deana Porter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 29 years of experience. She works with people who are dealing with relationship strain, trauma and abuse, intimacy concerns, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and stress. She also addresses parenting, grief, sleep and eating concerns, and career-related issues.
Her approach is practical and focused on observable patterns. She helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and habits and then try different ways of responding. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is part of her work, along with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), the Gottman Method for relationship skills, and Internal Family Systems for working with internal parts.
Sessions aim to clarify the main problems and set concrete goals. She breaks issues into manageable steps and teaches coping skills that can be used between visits. Conversations may include tracking thoughts, testing new behaviors, and practicing communication techniques for relationships.
Deana has experience with adoption and foster care questions, blended family and fatherhood issues, caregiver stress, attachment and family of origin concerns, and difficult transitions such as divorce or loss. She also supports people struggling with codependency, commitment worries, and compassion fatigue.
Her style centers on direct, structured work rather than vague reassurance. She listens for patterns, offers straightforward feedback, and checks progress as goals are pursued. People who want clear strategies and measurable steps often find this kind of work useful.
How CBT and DBT translate to online work
Many of her methods transfer clearly to remote sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on noticing and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; it helps with anxiety, depression, sleep and stress by teaching specific experiments and homework to try between meetings. Dialectical Behavior Therapy teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills; it is useful when strong emotions or conflict interfere with daily life and relationships. The Gottman Method concentrates on relationship communication skills and conflict patterns to improve how partners talk and problem-solve.Finding the right approach is part of the work. She will collaborate with each person to pick techniques that match goals and preferences, and she will adjust methods if something is not helping. That choice is based on the issues presented and what the person finds most practical.
The practical benefits of online sessions include fitting appointments around work or caregiving, avoiding travel time, and keeping momentum with short check-ins when schedules are busy. The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the current session options before booking. Licensed professionals commonly use video or phone sessions; ask which formats are offered to find what fits your routine and needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
29+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with most often?
She works with relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy concerns, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, stress, grief, parenting, sleep and eating concerns, and career matters.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and to try practical changes. Sessions include tracking thoughts and testing new responses between visits.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
She has 29 years of professional experience working with relationship and trauma-related concerns and a range of family and caregiving issues.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.