About My Practice

Deborah Wagner, PhD

Licensed Psychologist

I offer the following types of therapy:

Individual Psychotherapy

Adults

In therapy I provide adults an opportunity to explore and express their feelings and understand their hurtful or unhealthy ways of thinking and engaging with others. I work together with each patient to gain new perspectives while healing past experiences and current relationships. During the coarse of therapy, I help each individual to set new, healthy goals and identify hopes for the future, while working through their past damage. I am committed to helping every individual who comes to my office to diminish or alleviate their pain and suffering while adding depth of meaning and richness to his or her life.

Adolescents

In today’s complex world, adolescents and young adults struggle with many difficult issues. Frequently individuals in this age group feel misunderstood by others, both peers and adults. This is often accompanied by stresses in academic areas, sports and social areas. Too often adolescents are tempted by drugs, alcohol, sex and eating disorders, while feeling the lack of a responsible, trustworthy adult with whom they can share confidences and from whom they can seek advice. I provide a safe and confidential environment in which my patients can explore these issues and their feelings. What is critical to adolescents and young adults is to be assured that there is always someone to turn to, support, guide and understand their unique challenges.

Children

Children present with many various issues from peer difficulties, to attention deficit disorder, to depression, anxiety, or behaviorial issues. With my youngest patients, I utilize play therapy to help children communicate and accomplish healing. Because young children are not extremely adept verbally, play is an effective way to understand and conduct therapy with a child. Using dolls, stuffed animals, drawing and imaginative tools, I help children work through their difficulties.

Couples Therapy

When working with couples, it is important to focus on how each individual feels and how he/she perceives a situation. Both voices must be heard in order to achieve any meaningful change. This must precede an attempt to improve communication between the partners.  Some of the more typical pitfalls that couples face may be explored, including the different ways in which different sexes perceive and cope with various issues. Couples typically need to learn how to really hear one another and then to negotiate the issues so that they can find fulfillment in their relationships.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is needed when either one member of the family is struggling with a difficulty that disrupts healthy functioning for the rest of the family, or when the entire family is engaged in mutually dysfunctional relationships. In both situations the whole family enters treatment in order to change the typical ways in which the family members interact with one another. Together, the family members and I explore the issues that contribute to the discord, whether they are current or old issues, and work through them until the family becomes a more harmonious unit.


Areas of Expertise

  • Addictions
  • Adjustment Difficulties
  • Adoption Issues
  • Adult Abuse
  • Aging Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Attention Deficit Disorders
  • Child Abuse
  • Child/Adolescent Issues
  • Chronic Pain or Illness
  • Depression
  • Divorce
  • Domestic Abuse/Violence
  • Eating Disorders
  • LGBTQ Issues
  • Hyperactivity
  • Impulse Disorders
  • Infertility Issues
  • Infidelity
  • Life Coaching
  • Loss/Grief/Bereavement
  • Marital Issues
  • Men's Issues
  • Mood Disorders
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • Parenting Issues
  • Perimenopause
  • Personality Disorders
  • Relationship Issues
  • School Anxiety
  • Sexual Identity Disorders
  • Sexuality Issues
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Spirituality
  • Substance Abuse
  • Transgender
  • Trauma/PTSD
  • Women's Issues