“I cannot count the ways that therapy with Debra has helped me. It is hands-down the best thing that I’ve done for myself since becoming a mom.

I am mom to three boys — two who are autistic, all of whom are black. We were limping through their teen years. The boys on the spectrum were beginning to transition to adulthood. I was also caring for my mother who lived in the center of our home. Yikes! I hadn’t even realized how overwhelming it was to take on the additional duty of caregiver, or how it was affecting my twenty-year marriage.

I spent years prioritizing and advocating for the education and therapies for my boys. I wanted to give them the best possible foundation, despite their challenges. For years I ran them to and from every form of therapy that I could find. I lost myself in the process. My personal depression and anxiety was spinning out of control. My identity had been swallowed up by the role of caregiver to my family.

Debra helped me see myself again — my value and self-worth as an individual. She helped me create boundaries that had been erased. Through our sessions I realized that it was okay to say no to others and yes to myself. I opened my eyes and realized that the more I did for my family, the more they came to expect me to do.

With help from Debra, I started to prioritize my self-care, beginning with getting proper rest and moving my body. The yoga studio became my refuge. I began taking off one afternoon a week to have a “me day.” I would take off for regular weekends at my best friend’s house a couple of hours away. Eventually, I stepped way out of the box and went on my first vacation alone. It was the most magical gift ever!

I call therapy my “Disneyland.” It’s the place that I go to be seen and heard. I am never judged and told my feelings are wrong or inaccurate. Debra is an objective lens to help me see my truth. Until we started our work together, I only saw myself through the lens of my family’s needs. Their priority was of course, what they needed from me. Not taking care of me. I had to do that for myself.

I am a writer/blogger/autism advocate. I have created online support communities for parents of autistic teens and young adults on the spectrum. The best piece of advice for the thousands of moms that I’ve met from all over the world is, please find yourself a good therapist! It’s the best gift you can give yourself.

Debra, there are not enough words to thank you for all you have done to get me through some challenging times. I continue to be a work in progress. Thank you for helping me do the work.” 

— K.W.