Debra Rice, LCSW

Debra Rice is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in New York who focuses on thoughts and everyday habits that shape how people cope. She talks plainly with people about what feels stuck and helps them find small changes that add up. Her style is warm and practical, aimed at getting relief from stress and low mood so daily life feels more manageable.

With 14 years of experience, she draws on several approaches to meet different needs. Debra uses cognitive behavioral ideas to spot unhelpful thought patterns and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify their values and take meaningful action. She also brings client-centered listening to create space for people to be heard and understood.

Debra works with a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, relationship strain, sleep problems, and parenting stress. She also helps people coping with career shifts, caregiver stress, and long-term issues like body image or codependency. Her practical focus is on everyday habits that can change how someone feels from day to day.

Sessions are collaborative and goal-focused. She helps set small, achievable steps and checks in on what is or isn’t working. Her aim is to help people feel less overwhelmed and more able to handle life’s demands.

To start, she asks people to describe current problems and goals so sessions can be tailored. Debra encourages straightforward conversation and real-world strategies to make steady progress.

Online approaches that focus on thoughts and daily habits

Debra uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep struggles, and stress by breaking problems into small, manageable steps.

She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which focuses on noticing difficult thoughts and choosing actions that reflect personal values. ACT can help when someone feels stuck by shifting attention from trying to eliminate thoughts to building a meaningful routine.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Decisions about which strategies to try are collaborative and may change as needs evolve.

If you plan to try online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow a shorter check-in when time is limited, or offer alternatives if being on camera is difficult. Licensed professionals often use these options to help therapy fit everyday life without changing the core focus on thoughts and habits.