You are the one everyone counts on. The strong one. The responsible one.
The one who holds it all together.
But inside, you feel exhausted. Stuck in the same cycles.
Maybe you don’t even know who you are beyond the roles you’ve played for so long.
​
You’ve tried to push through, to minimize, to tell yourself, “It wasn’t that bad.”
But the past has a way of showing up—
​
In relationships that feel unbalanced
In moments of self-doubt, irritability, or guilt
In the way you never feel fully at peace
The truth is, the coping strategies that once helped you survive—
overgiving, numbing, perfectionism, shutting down—
may now be keeping you from the life you want.
That’s where therapy comes in.
That’s where I come in.
A Different Kind of Therapy
Healing isn’t about fixing yourself.
You are not broken.
​
This isn’t a clinical, detached process where I sit back and analyze you. This is real work. A partnership.
A space where you don’t have to perform or pretend. Where all the parts of you—especially the ones you’ve been taught to hide—are welcomed with compassion.
​
For those of us who come from dysfunctional families, survival meant adapting. We became caretakers, overachievers, perfectionists. We learned to scan the room, read between the lines, anticipate everyone else’s needs.
But at what cost?
​
For those of us in recovery, we know healing is more than willpower. Whether your struggle has been with substances, food, relationships, or work, we explore what’s beneath it—
without shame, without judgment.
​
For those of us who carry spiritual wounds, there is another way. Healing doesn’t mean abandoning your faith or forcing a belief system that no longer resonates. It’s about reconnecting with what feels true, meaningful, and healing for you—whether that’s spirituality, personal growth, or a deeper connection with yourself.
​
This isn’t just therapy. It’s a reclamation.
How We Work Together
Every client’s healing process is different, but here’s how we may work together:
​
IFS (Internal Family Systems) – Healing the Parts That Hold the Pain
IFS helps us bring compassion to those parts, so they no longer have to carry the weight alone. It also helps us recognize the coping strategies that once protected us but may no longer serve us in the way we need.
​
12-Step Recovery & Spiritual Exploration – Finding Meaning in the Healing Process
If you’ve struggled with addiction, codependency, or compulsive behaviors, you already know that white-knuckling your way through doesn’t work. Whether you are atheist, agnostic, or consider yourself a spiritual seeker, together we can explore spiritual principles (either from 12-step recovery or your own personal beliefs), and how they can offer a path toward acceptance, serenity, and freedom.
​
Trauma-Informed & Somatic Work – Releasing What’s Held in the Body
The body remembers what the mind tries to forget. Many of my clients tell me, "I understand my patterns, but I still feel stuck." That’s because healing isn’t just intellectual—it’s felt. We integrate breathwork, grounding, and nervous system regulation to help you experience safety in your own skin.
The Patterns We Carry
& The Healing We Deserve
Many of the women I work with don’t immediately call their struggles trauma or dysfunction.
They say things like:
​
“I just feel exhausted all the time.”
​
​“I don’t know who I am outside of taking care of others.”
​
​“I keep repeating the same patterns, but I don’t know how to stop.”​
​
“I turn to food, TV, relationships, alcohol, or scrolling just to shut my brain off for a while.”
Through therapy, we begin to uncover the deeper dysfunctional family dynamics that shaped these coping strategies.
If you grew up in a home where emotions weren’t safe, where love felt conditional, or where you had to stay small, stay strong, or stay invisible, those early experiences shaped how you move through the world today.
​
And if you weren’t given space to process those emotions then, they don’t just disappear. They show up in the way you work, love, distract, and self-soothe—until you finally turn toward them with compassion.
​
That’s where I come in.​
Who I Help
Most of my clients resonate with:
Being “the strong one” in their families, workplaces, and friendships
Emotional burnout, overgiving, and self-sacrifice
Struggling with boundaries, guilt, or the pressure to always "get it right"
Seeking comfort through distraction, numbing, or compulsive behaviors
Feeling like an "outsider"
You may even relate to Elphaba from Wicked, Fiona from Shrek,
Dom and Letty from Fast & Furious or "Baby" from Dirty Dancing.
Whatever story brought you here, it doesn’t have to be the one that defines you.
My Experience & Training
Fully Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Georgia since 2000
IFS Informed (Internal Family Systems)
Specialized training in trauma-informed therapy and attachment-based healing
15-year active member of the American Academy of Psychotherapists (AAP)
Master’s in Social Work (MSW), 1996
​
​
​
If You’re Ready to Do This Work, I’m Here.
“I truly feel heard when I speak with Debbie. She's kind, compassionate, and insightful. She helps me see that I have options. I am no longer 'stuck' or "trapped' in my patterns... Life is exciting now!
— 44 year old woman