Deborah  Helt
Vetted

Deborah Helt

She/Her/Hers

Marriage and Family Therapist, MFT Master of Arts, MA Specialties Insurance & Fees Locations
California Accepting Online
Los Angeles, Winterset Accepting In-person

Limited availability, maintains active waitlist.

Updated June 14, 2023

Specialties & Expertise

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Gender identity
  • Sexuality
  • Trauma
  • Couples counseling
  • Personal development

Professional statement

Deborah Helt is a Marriage and Family therapist who is licensed in California and Iowa. She provides therapy for individuals, couples, families and groups and is the owner of Light Gets In Therapy Center.

She is trained in several modalities including but not limited to relational gestalt, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and somatic awareness techniques. Her perspective as a therapist is feminist, culturally sensitive, LGBTQIAPK-affirmative and grounded in principles of social justice.

Deb works with clients from wide-ranging backgrounds, addressing a variety of clinical issues including depression, anxiety, gender and sexuality issues, substance abuse, recovery from trauma, relationship conflicts, career transitions and family of origin issues. She welcomes clients from all backgrounds and stages of life. She particularly enjoys working with social change-makers such as artists, community organizers, writers, teachers and government employees. She has clinical and lived experience related to IVF, infertility journeys and foster parenting and welcomes clients who wish to explore these issues.

Deb completed Masters Degrees in both Clinical Psychology and Urban Planning. she completed a year-long certificate program in Postmodern Therapies at Phillips Graduate Institute and three years of training in Relational and Community Gestalt Therapies at the Relational Center. As an intern, she provided therapy in English and Spanish for children and families on Medi-cal at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, served clients at the David H. Fox Counseling Center in Chatsworth, Ca and at two local private practices. Her work as a therapist is partly informed by her past career as an urban planner and non-profit director where she ran programs that promoted expanded opportunities for entrepreneurs and job seekers looking for avenues into new career sectors.


Message to clients

My goal as a therapist is to help clients hear themselves, feel their emotions and build greater awareness of what they want and need to thrive.  I strive to support my clients' connection to their own wisdom and to help clients balance action, insight and acceptance.

I believe that each of our lives is an ecosystem, comprised of the interconnecting forces that influence our well-being. This includes our relationships with other people, with cultural and economic forces and even our own bodies. When we suffer trauma or fall out of balance, we are often left feeling anxious, depressed, or lost. Therapy can be an invaluable tool finding our way to vitality and connectedness.

I also believe that some of the distress that we experience cannot be separated from the political, cultural and economic environment in which we live.  I am interested in finding ways to connect the emotional healing and improved self-care often associated with therapy to broader social movements working to promote a fairer, more resilient, more sustainable world. I’m also interested in neuroscience, mindfulness practices and am well versed in recent scientific research about the impacts of social isolation on physical and mental health outcomes. While I am a traditionally trained therapist, these influences also frequently appear in my work. I find that I often attract clients that are interested in exploring how cultural forces are also impacting our collective well being.


Specialties

Anxiety - Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder)

Depression - Providing support and promoting healing of hopelessness, low motivation and energy, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of interest and pleasure in life

Gender identity - Exploring gender identity, including trans, non-binary, and gender variant identities; support throughout the process of transition

Sexuality - Addressing emotional, physical, and biological concerns related to sexual intimacy and functioning; education and skill building around topics such as erectile dysfunction, orgasms, low libido, shame, and history of abuse; improving communication to realize a fulfilling sex life

Trauma - Coping and healing after threatening or scary events, such as witnessing accidents or experiencing sexual, verbal, emotional, or physical abuse

Couples counseling - Addressing relationship challenges and life transitions; strengthening communication and feelings of security, desire, connection and love

Personal development - Understanding, accepting, and strengthening one’s sense of self through the exploration of family, work, and personal values




Clientele

  • Adults (24+)
  • Children (<12)
  • Couples
  • Families
  • Parents
  • Teenagers (13-18)
  • Young adults (18-24)

Insurance

Deborah Helt is not in-network with any insurances.

Read about the benefits of seeing an out-of-network provider here.


Out-of-pocket fees

  • Individual sessions: $180 (50min)
  • Sliding scale: $100 - $180
  • Initial session: $180 (50min)

Additional session information

Out-of-network billing options

This provider can support you in getting reimbursement from your insurance company if you are seeking out-of-network reimbursement. Here are the out-of-network billing options they provide:

  • Super billing
Payment options
  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
Session frequency

Frequency of sessions this provider offers to see clients once you are an established client.

  • Weekly
  • Monthly
  • Every other week
  • Multiple times a week

Location(s)

Los Angeles practice
1869 Park Drive, Los Angeles, California 90026
Accepting new clients in-person
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon 7am to 3pm
  • Tue 7am to 3pm
  • Wed 7am to 3pm
  • Thu 8am to 6pm
  • Fri 8am to 4pm
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Online Sessions (California)
Accepting new clients online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon Closed
  • Tue 6:00am - 5:00pm
  • Wed 6:00am - 5:00pm
  • Thu 6:00am - 5:00pm
  • Fri Closed
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Winterset practice
204 W Washington St, Winterset, Iowa 50273
Accepting new clients in-person
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon Closed
  • Tue 8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Wed 8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Thu 8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Fri 8:00am - 5:00pm
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Work and Education

Private Practice , 2019 - Present


Licensure

California: 106580

Iowa: 105069


Languages

English

Spanish