Deana Porter, LMFT

Deana Porter is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 29 years of clinical experience. She focuses on relationship concerns, family issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related problems, and mood and stress challenges. She talks with people about self-esteem, motivation, grief, and practical coping for life changes.

In sessions she uses clear, skill-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to address thinking patterns and emotional regulation. Deana also draws on Internal Family Systems to help people notice and work with different parts of themselves. For relationship work she uses elements of the Gottman Method to improve communication and reduce conflict.

She often helps people trace how family of origin patterns still affect their choices and relationships. That can include roles they grew up with, repeated arguments, or expectations that feel hard to change. Sessions focus on identifying those patterns and trying small, doable changes in thinking and interaction.

Deana describes therapy in straightforward terms. She listens, offers tools, and practices skills with clients in the room. Conversations include setting concrete goals, tracking progress, and adjusting methods as needed.

Her work also addresses practical life demands such as parenting strains, caregiver stress, work pressure, and sleep or eating concerns. People who bring complex emotional histories, including grief or past abuse, will find an approach that combines skills training with exploration of inner parts.

How therapy approaches guide online sessions