Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
How Debra works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Montana
- Years in practice
- 25
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Debra
Debra Thurman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of practice based in Montana. She prefers working with adults and focuses on making therapy approachable and practical. She emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and straightforward support for people facing difficult moments.
Clients often come for help with stress, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, and depression. She also addresses major life changes, grief and loss, trauma and abuse, sleep problems, parenting concerns, career questions, and mood disorders such as bipolar.
Background and approach
Additional focus areas include caregiver stress, chronic pain or illness, autism and Asperger syndrome, and issues like guilt or forgiveness. In sessions she tailors conversation and plans to each person’s situation. She uses practical techniques from approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to teach skills for managing strong feelings and unhelpful thoughts.
Mindfulness and acceptance strategies are used to build tolerance for hard emotions. Debra aims to help people notice patterns that make life harder and practice small changes that lead to more control. She encourages clear goals and steady steps rather than quick fixes.
The tone in her work is calm, direct, and supportive. People who want a therapist who listens and offers concrete tools often find this style useful. She guides clients through problem-solving and emotion regulation, while adapting pace and methods to each person’s needs.
What Debra works with
Everything Debra lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Debra's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Control issues
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Debra lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches that translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people notice what matters to them and take small steps toward those values while learning to live with difficult thoughts and feelings. It can help with anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often used for anxiety, anger, sleep issues, and mood concerns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, adds skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness to help manage intense reactions and improve everyday functioning.
Finding the right approach is usually a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, try techniques, and adjust methods as needed. Clients and the therapist decide together which strategies fit best for the individual’s situation and preferences.
Online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into daily life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work when bandwidth is limited or a camera is not preferred, and live chat or text-based messaging can be useful for brief check-ins or when written reflection helps. These options give flexibility for scheduling, shorter check-ins around work, or continued contact while living far from Montana-based offices.
Questions people ask about Debra
What concerns does Debra commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, anger, self-esteem, depression, coping with life changes, trauma and abuse, sleep problems, parenting concerns, career issues, and bipolar disorder among other concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is respectful and down-to-earth, combining listening with practical skills training. She adapts methods to each person and focuses on clear, doable steps.
What background does she bring to sessions?
She brings 25 years of professional experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. That background includes work with a wide range of adult concerns and life stages.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Montana Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be done by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How are fees handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.