Debra

Debra Pace

Family Therapist

“A passionate and caring therapist with over 15 years working with adolescents and adults in a variety of contexts.”

About Me

This passionate and caring family therapist brings over 15 years of experience supporting adolescents and adults. They specialise in guiding families through complex relational challenges. Sessions focus on strengthening connections and fostering clearer communication, ensuring every voice feels heard. With broad experience across diverse contexts, they help clients discover practical ways forward. This approach builds lasting understanding within the family unit.

Approach

With years supporting families in different settings, I shape therapy around steady, practical moves that respect each person’s pace and priorities. Whether we meet in Monterey or online, sessions are conversational and focused—short check-ins, clearer communication practice, and agreed‑upon steps to try between appointments. I pair coaching-style goal work with reflective moments so progress is measurable and emotionally safe, especially when transitions, addiction or caregiving strain relationships. This way of working tends to suit adolescents, parents and elders seeking reliable, doable change.
Contact Debra

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information

In-person & Online

Services

Services Offered:

  • Coaching

    A goal-oriented practice focused on identifying objectives, overcoming obstacles, and taking action, centred on the present and future rather than past difficulties.

  • Conflict Management

    Structured approaches to resolving disputes and improving communication between people in conflict, whether in relationships, families, or workplaces.

  • Online Therapy

    Therapy sessions conducted over video call, phone, or secure messaging, using the same professional methods delivered remotely.

    Learn more about Online Therapy
  • Sport Psychology

    A branch of psychology focused on the mental aspects of athletic performance, including focus, motivation, pressure management, and recovery from injury.

  • Relationship Counseling

    Counselling for couples or partners focused on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and strengthening emotional connection.

  • Stress Management

    Techniques and strategies for managing the body and mind's response to excessive demands, including relaxation, cognitive restructuring, and lifestyle changes.

    Learn more about Stress Management
  • Support Groups

    Facilitated groups of people with shared experiences who meet regularly to listen, share, and support one another.

  • Therapy

    Professional treatment for mental health concerns, providing a structured space for insight, emotional processing, and behavioural change.

    Learn more about Therapy
  • Skills Training

    Structured programmes that teach practical coping and life skills, such as emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.

    Learn more about Skills Training
  • Personal Development

    The ongoing process of self-awareness, self-improvement, and reaching one's potential, pursued not because something is wrong but to live more fully.

Works With:

  • Adolescents
  • Adults
  • Couples
  • Elderly
  • Individuals
  • Parents

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • Addiction

    A compulsive dependence on a substance or behaviour, such as alcohol, drugs, or gambling, that causes harmful consequences to health, relationships, or daily life.

    Learn more about Addiction
  • Life Transitions

    Major life changes, such as relocation, retirement, parenthood, or career shifts, that disrupt routine and require psychological adjustment.

    Learn more about Life Transitions
  • Adolescent Therapy

    Therapy designed for teenagers, using age-appropriate methods to address issues like anxiety, identity, peer pressure, and family conflict.

    Learn more about Adolescent Therapy
  • Alzheimer's / Dementia

    A progressive brain disease that causes memory loss, confusion, and decline in thinking skills, eventually affecting the ability to carry out everyday tasks.

    Learn more about Alzheimer's / Dementia
  • Anxiety

    Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.

    Learn more about Anxiety
  • Mood Disorder

    A category of mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder, in which a person's emotional state is significantly and persistently disrupted.

    Learn more about Mood Disorder
  • Dementia

    A group of brain conditions causing progressive decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning severe enough to interfere with daily life.

  • Relationship Issues

    Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.

    Learn more about Relationship Issues
  • Self-Esteem

    A person's overall sense of their own worth and value. When chronically low, it can drive self-doubt, avoidance, and difficulty in relationships.

    Learn more about Self-Esteem
  • Stress / Burnout

    The body and mind's response to prolonged or excessive demands. When sustained, it can lead to emotional exhaustion, detachment, and reduced functioning (burnout).

    Learn more about Stress / Burnout

Professional Title:

  • Family Therapist

    A therapist trained to work with couples and families to improve communication, resolve conflict, and strengthen relationships.

Service Areas

Monterey Counseling Center

In-person & Online

Monterey Downtown

Monterey, California

United States