Debra Rice , LCSW

Debra Rice is a licensed clinical social worker with 14 years of experience. She offers practical, straightforward help when stress, low mood, or life changes feel overwhelming. She works with people on concerns including anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, self-esteem, and parenting strain. Debra practices in New York and conducts sessions in English.

Her approach blends skills-based methods with a listening style that centers the person in front of her. She uses cognitive behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thoughts and patterns. She also draws on acceptance and commitment ideas to help people clarify values and take small, guided steps toward them.

Debra pays attention to how early attachment and relationships shape current reactions. That focus supports work on relationship strain, commitment questions, and codependency. She uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools when intense emotions or impulsivity make day-to-day coping hard.

Sessions are practical and goal-oriented, while making space for what feels difficult to talk about. Debra helps people tackle sleeping problems, career stress, caregiver strain, and body image concerns. She also supports those facing blended family dynamics and aging or caregiver issues.

Therapy can start with a clear plan and change as needs shift. Debra helps clients set manageable goals, practice new skills between sessions, and notice progress over time. If someone wants to explore grief, relationship concerns, or life transitions, she helps map a path forward.

How evidence-based approaches work online

Debra often uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people identify what matters and take small, value-driven actions despite uncomfortable thoughts or feelings. ACT is useful for anxiety, low mood, and life transitions because it focuses on doing what matters even when feelings are intense.

She also draws on Attachment-Based Therapy ideas to look at how early relationships affect current interactions and trust. That approach helps when relationship patterns, codependency, or commitment issues feel stuck. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to break down unhelpful thoughts and behaviors into manageable steps that can be practiced between sessions.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk about options, try small exercises, and adjust methods based on the client’s needs, goals, and preferences. Clients help set the pace and focus for their work together.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is good for face-to-face conversations and skill practice, phone works when bandwidth is limited, live chat can suit quick check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection and brief coaching between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different lifestyles.