Therapist profile
Dr. Deborah Harris-Sims, LPC
District of Columbia
Licensed counselor - Anger and relationships
Continue with DeborahKey details
- CredentialsLPC
- LicenseLPC, District of Columbia / PRC14149; LPC, South Carolina / 8822
- NPI1619247038
- Experience20 years
- LanguagesEnglish
- LocationDistrict of Columbia
About
- CBT techniques
- Client-centered work
- Trauma-focused methods
About Deborah
Dr. Deborah Harris-Sims is an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) practicing in the District of Columbia with 20 years of counseling experience. She helps people who are struggling with anger as well as depression, anxiety, relationship and parenting concerns. She also supports clients facing trauma, loss, career stress, and other life transitions.
Dr. Sims draws on approaches such as Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy. In sessions she listens for patterns that keep problems alive and then works with clients to try different ways of responding. This can include looking at thoughts and behaviors, examining past relationships that shape current reactions, and testing small, practical changes to reduce reactivity.
Her background includes long clinical experience across settings and with a wide range of concerns including addiction, bipolar mood issues, attachment and personality-related problems, grief, and eating or sleep difficulties. She also has experience addressing abandonment, adoption and foster care matters, caregiver stress, dissociation, and family-of-origin issues.
Sessions focus on clear goals and concrete steps. Conversations are aimed at making frustration and anger easier to notice and manage, improving communication where it matters, and helping people restore steadier functioning at work and home. Dr. Sims accepts international clients and meets people in English.
If someone wants to begin, they complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session to discuss goals and next steps.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Dr. Sims uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. CBT is practical and often focuses on small experiments to reduce reactivity and improve mood. She also draws on Client-Centered Therapy, which prioritizes listening and helping people outline their own goals and priorities in plain terms.These methods can be combined with Psychodynamic ideas when helpful, looking at early relationship patterns that influence how someone reacts under stress. The therapist and client decide together what mix makes the most sense based on current concerns, history, and what the person wants to work on. Finding the right approach is a collaborative process rather than a preset plan.
Formats for online work are not listed here, so confirm the exact session options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people attend without travel time. Licensed professionals can use online sessions to practice CBT exercises, review patterns discussed in psychodynamic work, and support applied steps that help reduce anger and improve daily functioning.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
District of Columbia, South Carolina
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She helps with anger, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, trauma and many life changes including career and parenting concerns.
What is her general therapy style like?
She combines client-centered listening with practical strategies from CBT and solution-focused methods to set clear goals and steps.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 20 years of counseling experience working in a range of settings with diverse concerns.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) practicing in the District of Columbia.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the US work with her?
She accepts international clients; confirm any regional or time zone details before scheduling.
What session formats are offered?
Session formats are not specified here; please confirm the current session options before booking.
How does payment and scheduling work?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time; start by completing the short matching questionnaire and scheduling a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is unsafe, use the crisis numbers.