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- CBT techniques
- DBT skills
- Gottman Method
About Deana
Deana Porter, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), is licensed in California and has 29 years in practice. She works with relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, self-esteem, anxiety, grief, and other life stressors using conversations grounded in practical therapy methods.
Porter uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help people change unhelpful thoughts and learn emotion regulation skills. She also uses the Gottman Method for relationship-focused work and Internal Family Systems to look at different parts of a person's inner experience. Sessions focus on clear goals and concrete strategies people can try between meetings.
Her approach is direct and problem-focused. She talks through patterns in relationships, communication, and coping, and offers tools to manage anger, mood shifts, and anxiety. For people dealing with adoption, blended family challenges, caregiving stress, or family-of-origin issues, she addresses practical dynamics and next steps.
Porter also supports people facing career strain, sleep or eating difficulties, and adaptation to life changes. She offers interventions for depression and bipolar-related concerns alongside skills for handling compassion fatigue and caregiver burden. Work can include behavior changes, boundary-setting, and improving daily routines.
People meet with Porter to sort priorities and set clear, achievable steps. Starting conversations emphasize what is happening now and what can change. The focus is on usable skills and steady progress rather than abstract theory.
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How her approaches translate to online sessions
Deana Porter uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can be practiced with homework and brief skill work between sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy provides concrete emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills that people can learn and apply in daily life. The Gottman Method offers structured tools for improving communication and reducing conflict in close relationships.Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist will review concerns, goals, and personal preferences and then recommend methods to try. Plans are adjusted over time based on what helps most.
The biography did not specify session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a workday, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Licensed professionals can use conversation, worksheets, and guided skills practice to help clients work on communication, mood regulation, and behavior changes without promising a specific session type.
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
29+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
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Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She works on relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, intimacy issues, self-esteem, anxiety, grief, sleep and eating problems, parenting stress, anger, career strain, bipolar and depression, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style?
She emphasizes practical, goal-focused work using approaches like CBT and DBT alongside relationship and parts-based methods.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 29 years of professional experience in clinical practice.
Where is she licensed to practice?
She holds a California LMFT license and practices in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
What are the session formats?
The original biography did not list session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled and how do I begin?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, call 911, or call or text 988.