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DP Portrait of Deana Porter

Deana Porter

Relationship focused support for life changes

LMFT California

Experience
29 years in practice
Focus areas
Relationship, Family, Trauma and abuse
Approaches
Gottman Method, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Languages
English
Continue with Deana

About Deana

Deana Porter is a licensed marriage and family therapist who centers her work on helping people repair relationships and manage life's hard moments. She uses practical conversation and clear strategies to support clients through stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and intimacy concerns.

Background and approach

She brings 29 years of experience in California settings. That background includes work with trauma and abuse, parenting and fatherhood issues, and struggles with self-esteem and motivation.

She also addresses eating and sleeping challenges, career transitions, and compassion fatigue. In sessions she draws on approaches that include the Gottman Method, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior ideas, and Internal Family Systems.

These tools are used to help people understand patterns, improve communication, and develop helpful skills for everyday life. Deana adapts conversation and plans to fit each person's situation.

She emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while keeping goals concrete and doable. The focus is on small, clear steps that can make daily life easier.

People who reach out can expect a collaborative process that balances practical skill-building with attention to emotional needs. Deana encourages taking the first step and offers steady support as people work toward more satisfying relationships and better coping.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Deana often blends the Gottman Method with cognitive behavioral techniques to address relationship strain and everyday problems. The Gottman approach focuses on communication patterns and practical exercises that help partners understand interactions and reduce conflict. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that contribute to anxiety, depression, or stress.

She also uses elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills when feelings feel overwhelming. Together these approaches are chosen to match a person's goals and situation. The therapist works collaboratively to find the best fit, adjusting methods as needs and preferences become clearer.

Online sessions can be held by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, which makes it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls let people work face-to-face for communication exercises and deeper conversation. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be a good option for shorter check-ins. Live chat or text messaging can support ongoing practice between sessions and quick emotional support when needed. These formats make it simpler to maintain continuity of care and try different ways of working together.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She helps people with relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, stress, anxiety, depression, grief, eating and sleeping problems, parenting and fatherhood concerns, and career or life changes.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style combines practical skill-building and reflective conversation. She uses techniques from Gottman-informed approaches, CBT, DBT, and Internal Family Systems to improve communication and coping.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 29 years of professional experience working in California settings helping people with relationship and trauma-related concerns.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a California LMFT credential and practices from California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does billing and getting started work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesSelf esteem

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyGriefEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesGuilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesNarcissismSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Gottman MethodInternal Family Systems

Experience

29+ years

Licensed in

California

Languages

English