- Guilt and shame
- CBT and ACT
- Coaching included
About Deborah
Deborah "Debbie" Kirby is an LCSW licensed in Oregon with 24 years of clinical experience. She has worked with people facing stress, anxiety, grief, career changes, and compassion fatigue, and she lists guilt and shame among her areas of focus. Debbie also brings experience in executive and professional coaching.
Debbie aims to make it easier to talk about difficult feelings. She uses straightforward conversation to help people sort through what is happening for them. Sessions focus on what matters now and on practical steps a person can try between meetings.
Her work draws on a mix of approaches. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify thinking patterns that worsen distress. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) looks at values and taking meaningful action even when feelings are hard. Attachment-based ideas inform work on relationship patterns that feed shame or self-blame.
Debbie also uses client-centered and dialectical behavior techniques to build coping skills and emotional regulation. That can mean learning a short skill to steady intense moments or talking through how to set boundaries at work. She blends coaching for career or professional goals alongside therapy for personal concerns.
People meet her to address a wide range of life situations - from parenting stress, adoption and blended family issues, to recovery after trauma or infidelity. She lists support for LGBT concerns, fertility and hospice or end-of-life counseling among other topics. Practical problem solving and steady, honest conversation are central to her approach.
How therapeutic approaches guide online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying what matters to someone and taking steps toward those values even when feelings like guilt or shame are strong. This approach can help when a person struggles to act because of fear or self-judgment.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors keep distress going and teaches concrete ways to shift patterns. CBT is often used to reduce repetitive self-blame and to build alternative ways of thinking and behaving.
Debbie treats approach selection as a collaborative process. She will talk with a person about their goals, try techniques from different approaches, and together decide what feels most helpful for the situation and preferences.
Practical benefits of working online include fitting sessions into a busy schedule and reducing travel time so meetings are easier to keep. The biography does not specify session formats, so confirm current session options before booking. Online work can also allow shorter check-ins or camera-off conversations when that better fits a person’s needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
24+ years
Listed in
Oregon
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, career concerns, compassion fatigue, and includes guilt and shame among her focus areas.
How would she approach feelings of shame or guilt?
She uses conversational work and practical steps, drawing from approaches like CBT and ACT to address unhelpful thoughts and to take values-based action despite difficult feelings.
What is her background and level of experience?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 24 years of experience providing therapy and professional coaching.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is licensed as an LCSW in Oregon.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to get started.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.