Welcome, Lionheart.

Life can become painfully complicated, even for people who appear capable, thoughtful, and high-functioning from the outside. At times, the very areas meant to bring the most satisfaction - love, intimacy, family, partnership, sexuality, and home - can become the places where we feel most confused, alone, or worn down.

Many people arrive in therapy after trying very hard to make things better on their own. They have thought deeply, endured quietly, communicated carefully, and still find themselves caught in patterns that do not easily change. Often, what hurts most is not only the problem itself, but the experience of being minimized, misunderstood, or left carrying too much for too long.

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That experience is not foreign to me. My own path toward healing shaped the way I practice in lasting ways. I know the difference it makes to be met not with dismissal or cliché, but with steadiness, honesty, and real care. I know how transformative it can be to have a space where difficult things can be named clearly, explored thoughtfully, and worked with in a way that leads to genuine change.

That is the spirit behind Lionheart Psychotherapy. The name is a tribute to the courage it takes to face what is painful, to tell the truth more fully, and to remain open to growth even when life has taught you to brace.

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My style is warm, engaged, and direct. I aim to offer a therapeutic space that is thoughtful, grounded, and genuine. I am not interested in reducing people to stereotypes, forcing simplistic narratives onto complex situations, or losing sight of the fuller human reality of either person involved. I work from the belief that meaningful change requires both compassion and clarity, both insight and action.

Clients often tell me they felt a sense of fit before we ever met, and that our work feels both affirming and substantive. I take that seriously. I keep my caseload smaller than many clinicians so the work can remain tailored, attentive, and deeply considered rather than generic. My approach is interactive and practical, with attention not only to understanding patterns, but to changing them through deliberate practice outside the therapy room.

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My counseling work began in 2017 with a focus on children and adolescents, LGBTQ+ concerns, parenting, and trauma. Over time, my practice has evolved to focus on intimacy, relationships, and sexual wellbeing, including the kinds of concerns many people have never felt entirely comfortable discussing elsewhere. Alongside my broader clinical experience, I have pursued substantial post-graduate clinical training in sex therapy so I can serve clients with greater depth, skill, and care in the areas of desire, sexual functioning, shame, communication, betrayal, trust, alternative sexual interests, and the complicated intersection of emotional and erotic life. I consider it a privilege to create space for those conversations with care, maturity, and steadiness.

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A bit about me: I am a third-generation San Franciscan and have also lived in Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, Oregon and Missouri. My practice is 100% telehealth, and I split my time between my home in St. Louis, and traveling around the world with my partner. Outside of work, you will often find me gardening, hiking, baking, painting, studying the German language (für mich nicht einfach), and planning my next trip.

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Welcome, Lionheart.  I'm glad you're here and I hope for the chance to meet you soon!    

- Deb -