Hello, I’m Deborah Brautman, LMFT

I entered the field of counseling with a passion for education and learning. I have over 25 years of combined experience working with individual adults and teens, parents, and couples. Prior to earning my master's degree in counseling, I received a bachelor's degree in speech pathology as well as two teaching credentials. I taught middle school and high school Spanish and English.

One of the areas that fascinated me as an educator was motivation and learning style. Whether we are in an academic setting or work environment, our ability to learn is greatly influenced by our emotional style. We develop certain beliefs about ourselves that influence our thoughts and behaviors. Unfortunately, we might develop self-limiting beliefs that influence our thinking style.

Negative self-appraisals can lower self-esteem and prevent us from learning new skills. Consequently, evidence-based therapeutic inventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) resonate with me. Additionally, the field of neuroscience is a critical component of how I work. Learning about how your nervous system influences your sense of calm, or conversely, increases your anxiety level is a key clinical factor. Because we are social creatures, wired for connection, our relationships greatly influence our sense of happiness and well-being. I embrace a systemic approach to counseling couples and families.

Understanding our own family system provides us with a critical springboard from which to grow in our relationships. I incorporate interventions based on the work of psychologist John Gottman's extensive research, Imago Theory by Harvelle Hendrix and Helen Hunt, and Sue Johnson's Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). These evidence-based approaches are very effective in helping couples regulate emotions, increase communication, and decrease conflict.

I offer counseling to all who wish to gain deeper insight into their emotions, set more powerful boundaries in relationships, recover from trauma, and create more wellness and balance in their lives.