About
- CBT
- DBT skills
- Gottman Method
About Deana
Deana Porter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 29 years of clinical experience. She works with adults on relationship and family concerns and with a broad range of emotional struggles like anxiety, depression, grief, stress, and parenting challenges.
She focuses on problems that show up at home and in close relationships. That includes intimacy concerns, communication problems, issues tied to adoption and foster care, blended family stress, and fatherhood matters. She also supports people coping with trauma, domestic violence, caregiver strain, and chronic mood concerns such as bipolar disorder.
Her approach combines practical, skills-based methods with attention to internal patterns. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotion regulation and the Gottman Method ideas for relationship communication.
Deana integrates Internal Family Systems ideas to help people notice the different parts inside themselves that influence choices. Sessions aim to clarify what matters most and to practice small changes that make daily life easier. The focus is on concrete steps rather than long abstract talks.
She works in English and practices in California. If someone is looking to address family-of-origin issues, parenting strain, or the fallout of past abuse, she offers steady, experienced care geared to those concerns.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Deana commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in her work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and practicing new ways of responding, which can help with anxiety, depression, and parenting stress. DBT emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better interpersonal skills, which are useful for intense emotions and relationship conflicts.She also draws on Gottman Method principles for clearer communication and managing conflict in close relationships. Those ideas teach concrete conversation skills and ways to reduce escalation during disagreements.
Finding the right approach is worked out together. The therapist will discuss your goals and preferences, explain what each method involves, and recommend a plan that fits your situation. This is collaborative and can change as needs evolve.
Session format details should be confirmed before booking. When you check options, consider what fits your day-to-day life - for example, a shorter check-in may fit a work break, or an audio-only visit can use less bandwidth. Online sessions can make it easier to schedule therapy around parenting and caregiving responsibilities, helping therapy fit into ordinary routines rather than requiring large time changes.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
29+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of relationship or family problems does she help with?
She helps with communication problems, blended family stress, fatherhood issues, family-of-origin concerns, divorce and separation, and general relationship and intimacy-related issues.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She uses practical, skills-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy while also using relational tools from the Gottman Method and Internal Family Systems ideas.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 29 years of professional experience working with adults on relationship, trauma, mood, and parenting issues.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in California and practices there.
Can she work with non-English speakers or international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered for initial and follow-up visits.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your 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 anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.