- Client-centered
- Mindfulness-based
- Evidence-informed
About Deborah
Dr. Deborah Gioia-Hasick blends client-centered listening with practical techniques. She offers clear, direct help for sleep struggles, anxiety, mood concerns, and stress. Her approach focuses on what the person wants to change and on small steps they can try between sessions.
She began clinical work after earning a master of social work and completed a PhD in 2000. Much of her early career involved working with teens and young adults, including long-term work supporting people living with serious mental illness and their family supports. That work included group facilitation and teaching skills for symptom management and communication.
Over time she added training in sexual health, sex therapy interventions, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. She has taught master's and doctoral students clinical and research courses since 2001, and she brings those classroom and hands-on teaching skills into therapy sessions.
Her practice uses evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioral techniques and dialectical behavior strategies alongside mindfulness and motivational interviewing. She often helps people by breaking problems into manageable pieces and practicing new skills in real life.
Clients meet a therapist who pays attention to goals like better sleep, improved relationships, and clearer work direction. She draws on decades of experience to help people tackle grief, trauma, parenting questions, career shifts, and compassion fatigue with practical tools and steady support.
How therapy approaches translate to online care
Dr. Gioia-Hasick commonly integrates cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness practices into her work. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, mood symptoms, and sleep disruption. Mindfulness-based techniques train simple attention and breathing skills that can help with stress, emotional regulation, and grounding.Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist starts by listening to each person's goals and daily challenges, then uses motivational interviewing to agree on which methods to try. Adjustments happen together as progress and preferences become clearer.
Confirm the current session formats before booking, as options are not specified here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day and to keep consistent appointments. They can also allow shorter check-ins when time is limited or let people use exercises between sessions in their usual routines. Talk with the therapist when scheduling to learn which formats are available and to set a plan that fits work, caregiving, and sleep goals.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
37+ years
Credentials
Maryland, California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, sleep problems, depression, relationship and family concerns, eating and body issues, grief, trauma, parenting, career questions, and compassion fatigue among other concerns.
What is her style in sessions?
Her style is client-centered and collaborative, using motivational interviewing to agree on goals and then applying focused techniques like CBT, DBT, and mindfulness to practice change.
How much experience does she have?
She brings 37 years of clinical experience, including decades working with young adults, group facilitation, and teaching clinical courses at the graduate level.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds LCSW and LCSW-C credentials and practices in California with a background that includes clinical teaching and research.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people living outside the United States work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.