Therapist profile
Deana Porter, LMFT
California
LMFT in California - relationships and trauma
Continue with DeanaWhere Deana stands
- Credentials
- LMFT
- License
- LMFT, California / 46489
- NPI
- 1235954587
- Experience
- 29 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- California
About
- CBT techniques
- DBT skills
- Gottman work
About Deana
Deana Porter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 29 years of clinical experience. She works with people who bring relationship concerns, trauma or intimacy-related issues to therapy. She also addresses anxiety, depression, stress, and self-esteem struggles.
Deana focuses on practical conversation and skill building. She draws on therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try new ways of coping. She uses the Gottman Method to look at communication patterns that cause repeated conflict and to practice clearer, calmer conversations.
She pays attention to how family history and attachment shape current choices. That includes helping people sort through family of origin issues, blended family dynamics, adoption and foster care concerns, and caregiving stress. She also works with people who feel stuck around codependency, commitment issues, or long-standing emptiness.
Deana helps with practical problems too, such as sleeping and eating changes, parenting stress, anger and grief, and career shifts. Her approach is problem-focused and interactive. Sessions tend to include skill practice, identifying patterns, and planning small, manageable changes.
People who are navigating life transitions or coping with complex histories will find straightforward, experience-based support. To begin, visitors are asked to use the site button to see online therapy options, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Deana uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to guide online sessions. CBT focuses on identifying thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and testing new, more helpful actions. DBT provides concrete tools for managing strong emotions, reducing impulsive reactions, and improving distress tolerance.Choosing the right approach happens together. The therapist will talk with clients about their goals, try techniques in session, and adjust the plan based on what helps. That collaborative process makes it clearer which methods fit a person's situation and pace.
Confirm which online session formats are offered before booking, since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten a check-in when time is limited, or avoid needing travel time. It also allows practicing communication and emotion skills in the context of everyday life. Licensed professionals tailor sessions to match each person's needs, goals, and practical constraints when moving work to a remote setting.
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 concerns does she help with?
She works with relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem struggles, and related concerns such as codependency and family of origin problems.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is practical and interactive. Expect skill practice, pattern recognition, and concrete steps to try between sessions.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 29 years of professional experience as a therapist in California.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, CA LMFT, practicing in California.
Does she see people in other countries or languages?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session format options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete the 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 you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.