Deborah Levine

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” (George Bernard Shaw). I work with individuals and couples who arrive in therapy because the patterns that used to work — over-functioning, conflict avoidance, perfectionism, putting everyone else first — have stopped working. Together we look at what those patterns were protecting you from, and at what you would build in their place if you trusted that you could.

My approach is strengths-based and collaborative. You are the expert on your own life; my role is to bring curiosity, structured questions, and proven tools so the answers you already carry can come into focus. With couples, that often means slowing down repetitive arguments long enough to hear what each partner is actually fighting for, and then practicing concrete communication moves between sessions. With individuals, it usually means building self-awareness around the inner critic, learning to name and regulate emotion in the body, and rehearsing small behavior changes that compound over weeks.

I bring warmth, directness, and a deep belief in the capacity people have to change at any age. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California and see California residents by secure video. If you are weighing whether therapy is the right next step, the first session is a low-pressure conversation about what you’d like to be different — not a commitment. Reach out when you’re ready.