Here’s one question I suggest asking yourself in our consultation: Do you feel safe, respected, and understood?

And, if and as work together, continue to ask yourself:

• Do I feel at ease with Debbie, such that you can be honest?

• Do I feel like Debbie is tracking what matters to me, emotionally and practically?

You don’t need to have complete certainty right away, but you should feel a baseline level of safety and attunement developing, especially over time.

That said, I may at times challenge you and our work may sometimes feel uncomfortable, for instance when exploring past traumas.

On my end, I will be assessing whether I have the skills, expertise, and capacity to help you achieve your goals.

For example, in some cases, I may feel like the level of acuity requires a clinician with more specialized knowledge or experience.

That’s completely okay. Fit matters, and if you don’t feel comfortable or understood with me, it will be hard for me to be effective.

I will generally let you know by the end of the consultation if I think I am not the right counselor or coach for you. Otherwise, I’ll invite you to book an intake session and if you don’t, I’ll assume that you decided there wasn’t a fit.

If we’ve already begun working together, just shoot me a quick email, e.g. “Hi Debbie, I wanted to let you know that I don’t think this is the right fit for me, and would like to discontinue our sessions.”

If you are feeling understood during a session, I encourage you to tell me. In general, I welcome live or written feedback. If you’re open to it, I’m happy to talk about what’s not working for you and see whether I can adjust my approach in a way that better supports you.

And if you’d prefer to move on, I can help you clarify what to look for next.

Practically, telehealth lets me keep overhead low (for example, not renting an office), which helps me offer more accessible pricing, especially during my training period. Clinically, many clients prefer it, and telehealth also allows me to serve clients across a wider geography.

My intention is to offer limited in-person availability in San Francisco and Stockholm in 2027, and I’ll share updated options here on this site, at that time. However, I will always offer telehealth as an option.

Yes. I’m happy to do consultations and sessions by phone when that’s the best option for you.

The most important question is: Which format helps you feel safest and most able to show up? I’m comfortable working in all three formats.

• Video (telehealth): Often offers the best balance of convenience and connection. We can see facial expression and body language, and many clients find it easier to attend consistently.

• Phone: Can feel lower-pressure and more private for some people, especially early on or when video feels exposing. It can be easier to talk freely, though we lose visual cues.

If you’re unsure, we can start with what feels easiest and adjust over time.

Counseling/ psychotherapy is a healthcare service that can address mental health concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship distress) and may involve diagnosis and clinical treatment planning. It’s regulated by state counseling laws and may be billable to insurance when provided by eligible clinicians, such as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC / LMHC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), Licensed Social Workers (LSW), Psychologists (PhD), and Psychiatrists (MD). 

Coaching is a non-clinical service focused on goals, decision-making, skills, performance, and behavior change (e.g., career transitions, leadership stress, habits, accountability). Coaching does not diagnose or treat mental health disorders and is not psychotherapy. There also isn’t a single government licensing board that defines who can call themselves a “coach,” the way counseling boards regulate who can call themselves a “Licensed Professional Counselor,” for example. There also isn’t a universally required set of training hours, supervised practice hours, or exams that must be completed to legally provide coaching.

That said, regulations can still apply through consumer protection laws, professional ethics, and boundaries that prevent coaching from being represented as psychotherapy when it isn’t.

For legal and ethical reasons, I’m careful about scope and documentation. Here’s how I approach it:

• Clear scope: Coaching focuses on goals, decision-making, performance, habits, and behavior change. It does not diagnose or treat mental health disorders and is not a substitute for therapy.

• Clear communication: Coaching is self-pay and not billed to insurance. Informed consent and expectations are established up front.

• Appropriate referrals: If it becomes clear that psychotherapy or a higher level of care is the appropriate support, I’ll discuss referrals or transition options.

• Location awareness: Because laws and expectations can vary by state, I’m thoughtful about how services are described and delivered based on where a client is located.

If you’re unsure whether coaching or counseling is a better fit, we can clarify that during a brief consultation.