- Relationship focus
- Trauma informed care
- Practical skills
About Deana
Deana Porter is a licensed marriage and family therapist with nearly three decades of experience in California. She focuses on relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, intimacy challenges, and issues that affect daily well-being like stress, anxiety, and depression. Deana aims to meet people where they are and to work alongside them toward clearer goals and better day-to-day functioning.
Her approach is practical and straightforward. She uses methods drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help people change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior. She also draws on the Gottman Method for relationship work and Internal Family Systems to understand inner parts and their roles.
Deana helps people address parenting pressures, caregiver stress, adoption and foster care questions, and blended family dynamics. She also supports those dealing with grief, anger, eating and sleeping problems, and major life changes. Work often includes improving communication, building self-esteem, and creating safety after domestic violence or family-of-origin wounds.
Sessions are tailored to each person's needs. Deana listens first, then shapes a plan that fits goals and pace. She emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while encouraging practical steps clients can try between sessions.
People seeking support will find a calm, experienced clinician who combines evidence-informed approaches with a down-to-earth style. The focus is on small, sustainable changes that help clients feel more capable and connected.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Deana uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and elements of Internal Family Systems in her work. CBT focuses on identifying thoughts and behaviors that contribute to stress or mood problems and then testing practical changes to reduce symptoms. Internal Family Systems helps people understand the inner parts that drive feelings and behaviors and to build a more compassionate internal relationship.Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to your goals and try different tools to see what fits. Together you decide which methods to emphasize and adjust over time based on what helps most.
Please confirm which session formats are currently available before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It can also help people meet consistently during life transitions and balance therapy with work or caregiving responsibilities.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Deana commonly address?
She works with relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related problems, self-esteem, stress, anxiety, depression, and grief, among other concerns listed in her specialties.
What is her general therapy style like?
Her style is practical and collaborative, focusing on clear goals, respectful listening, and steps clients can use between sessions to make change.
How much experience does she have?
She has 29 years of professional experience working with a range of relationship and personal challenges.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT, licensed in California and practices there.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. She does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are used?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not specify which formats are offered.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.