Compassionate Therapy in Maine
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Whether you're navigating anxiety, relationship struggles, life transitions, or simply feeling stuck — therapy can help. I offer a warm, collaborative space where you can slow down, make sense of what you're experiencing, and find your way forward.
Areas of Focus
You Don't Have to Feel This Way Forever
Depression can make even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming. You may feel persistently sad, empty, or hopeless — or notice that things you once enjoyed no longer bring pleasure. You might struggle with sleep, energy, concentration, or a sense of worthlessness that is hard to shake.
Debra Gionet, LCSW works with adults, teens, and children experiencing depression, helping them understand what is driving their low mood and develop practical tools to move toward greater wellbeing.
Common Signs
- Persistent sadness or emptiness
- Loss of interest in activities
- Changes in sleep or appetite
- Fatigue and low energy
- Difficulty concentrating
Who I Help
- Adults feeling stuck or hopeless
- Teens struggling with low mood
- Children showing signs of sadness
- Those managing seasonal depression
My Approach
Debra uses evidence-based approaches including cognitive behavioral techniques and EMDR to help clients understand the roots of their depression and build lasting coping skills.
Crisis Resources: If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or go to your nearest emergency room.
Finding Calm in the Midst of Worry
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek counseling — and one of the most treatable. Whether you experience constant worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, or a general sense of dread, anxiety can make it hard to be present in your own life.
Debra Gionet, LCSW works with adults, teens, and children to identify the patterns driving their anxiety and build practical, lasting coping skills. Counseling can help you understand your triggers, quiet the noise in your mind, and feel more grounded day to day.
Common Signs
- Excessive worry or racing thoughts
- Physical tension or restlessness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Avoidance of feared situations
- Panic or overwhelming fear
Who I Help
- Adults with generalized anxiety
- Teens with social or school anxiety
- Children with separation anxiety
- Anyone experiencing panic attacks
My Approach
Debra draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based strategies, and EMDR to help clients understand and reduce anxiety — not just manage it.
Parenting Is Hard — You Don't Have to Figure It Out Alone
Raising children and teens is one of the most rewarding — and most challenging — things a person can do. Whether you are struggling with a child's behavior, navigating the teen years, managing co-parenting after divorce, or simply feeling overwhelmed and unsure of yourself, counseling can help.
Debra Gionet, LCSW has worked extensively with parents and their children across all ages. She helps parents develop practical strategies, strengthen their relationship with their child, and feel more confident and connected in their role.
Common Concerns
- Behavioral challenges at home or school
- Communication breakdowns with teens
- Co-parenting after separation or divorce
- Parenting a child with anxiety or depression
- Feeling burned out or overwhelmed
What Counseling Can Offer
- Practical parenting strategies
- Tools for calmer, clearer communication
- Support for your own emotional wellbeing
- A non-judgmental space to process challenges
- Guidance through major family transitions
You're Not Alone in This Season
The early years of motherhood can be beautiful and overwhelming at the same time. Many moms find themselves struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety, feeling isolated, grieving their pre-baby identity, or simply running on empty with no space to process what they are going through.
Debra Gionet, LCSW offers a warm, understanding space for new moms and mothers of young children to be honest about how they are really doing — and to get the support they deserve. You do not have to pretend everything is fine.
What Brings Moms In
- Postpartum depression or anxiety
- Feeling disconnected from your baby or yourself
- Overwhelm, exhaustion, and mom guilt
- Relationship strain after having a baby
- Loss of identity or sense of self
How Counseling Helps
- A safe space to be honest about your experience
- Tools to manage anxiety and low mood
- Support for the identity shift of becoming a mom
- Strategies for relationship and communication
- Rebuilding a sense of self alongside motherhood
Change Is Hard — Even When It's Good
Major life changes — even positive ones — can bring grief, uncertainty, and a loss of identity. Whether you are going through a divorce, facing an empty nest, changing careers, dealing with loss, or simply feeling like your life no longer fits who you are, counseling can help you find your footing.
Debra Gionet, LCSW helps adults navigate the emotional complexity of life transitions with clarity and resilience. Together, you can process what you are leaving behind and build a vision for what comes next.
Common Transitions
- Divorce or separation
- Career change or job loss
- Empty nest or children leaving home
- Retirement or aging
- Grief and loss
- Relocation or major moves
What Counseling Offers
- Space to grieve what is ending
- Help clarifying your values and direction
- Tools for managing uncertainty and anxiety
- Support rebuilding identity and purpose
- A steady presence through the unknown
Healing and Strengthening the Relationships That Matter Most
Do you want to heal a broken relationship — or make a good relationship even better? Debra works with adults and couples to navigate the challenges that strain connection, rebuild trust, and develop the communication skills needed for lasting, fulfilling relationships.
Areas Addressed
- Past childhood wounds affecting relationships
- Dating, singleness, and intimacy
- Anger and communication patterns
- Relationship satisfaction and connection
- Divorce and separation
Who I Work With
- Adults navigating relationship challenges
- Individuals working through past patterns
- Couples seeking to reconnect
- Those preparing for marriage
Relationship Enrichment
Even strong relationships hit rough patches. Couples counseling can help you and your partner communicate more effectively, rebuild trust, and reconnect with what brought you together.
Premarital Counseling
Starting your marriage with a strong foundation matters. Premarital counseling helps you and your partner explore values, expectations, and communication styles before the wedding day.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences. It works by allowing the brain to process stuck memories so they no longer hold the same emotional charge.
Trauma Processing
Helps reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge.
Evidence-Based
Recognized by the WHO and APA as an effective treatment for PTSD and trauma.
Integrative Approach
Combines elements of cognitive, behavioral, and body-centered therapies.
Common Questions
Ready to take the first step? Debra would love to hear from you.
Get in Touch