Debra Henri

As children, we are often not taught how to understand and master our own minds, bodies, and spirits. Now is the time to learn. As a trauma-informed, person-centered therapist and licensed mental health counselor, I integrate my non-judgmental view on how life experiences have impacted your cognitive and emotional well-being with evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) strategies. Together, we work toward leaning how to promote self-awareness, empowerment, choice, autonomy, and the ability to self-regulate without guilt, shame, or blame.

Over the years, I have centered my focus on the treatment of trauma-induced symptoms in patients struggling with anxiety, depression, fear, anger, low self-esteem, and general difficulty navigating life’s challenges and transitions. With my history of working in theater and film, I especially understand the difficulties that come with the decision to live a creative life.

Everyone deserves to be and feel validated. I believe that my genuine quality to accept you for who you are is the cornerstone to building a strong relationship that will lead to a fruitful outcome of goal achievement in our work together.

In my therapy room, you are in the driver’s seat. My role is to provide a safe, secure space for you to feel comfortable to self-explore, discover, learn, and share. Of the six ethical principles of counseling, I value autonomy highly, which means I will listen to your story and never pressure you to say or do anything you do not want to.

Throughout therapy, issues related to childhood experiences with your family are likely to arise. You will come to understand that because you did not develop in a vacuum, nothing is “your fault,” although it does fall to you to heal yourself. This begins by becoming aware of and understanding the messages you tell yourself and applying effective skills to rewrite the script.

My pathway into mental health began with years of rehearsals that helped me to avoid the pitfalls leading to dysphoria, dysfunction, and dissonance, which then motivated me to apply my transferable skills to “pay it forward.” I worked for five years in a group therapy setting, where I was able to utilize improvisational and role-play games to foster trust and cohesion among patients with severe mental illness and complex trauma histories, prior to transitioning to one-to-one therapy settings.