Meet Debra Brause, Psy.D.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Debra Brause.

Hi Debra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My career started in television as a comedy development studio executive. It was an amazing job, but after 10 years, I was burned out and wanted to pursue something more meaningful. I went back to school to become a psychologist, and now I have the privilege of working with creative people in a different context. I love helping people explore their internal worlds and deepen their connections to themselves and others. I did the majority of my training in psychoanalytic settings, and I incorporate concepts from mindfulness and attachment theory.

In the past several years, I have been working predominantly with parents of autistic children and with young adults who are autistic and/or have ADHD. I teach a course on Neurodiversity to psychology interns, and I’m really passionate about depathologizing the neurodivergent population. In graduate school, I didn’t receive any training on autism, and I think it’s so important for clinicians to be aware that they are likely seeing autistic clients in their practice without realizing it. Having an understanding of autism and other differently wired brains is so important for clients to feel understood. I’ve learned so much from autistic adults, and I’m really interested in adapting psychodynamic therapy for this population. I also have a blog on Psychology Today about raising a neurodivergent child.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My son was born two months after I was licensed as a psychologist. After a very difficult birth, we knew that he would have developmental challenges. With all the training I had, I was not at all prepared for this divergent path, and it has been full of deep joy and real struggle. My son has had to work so hard to adapt to the world, but he has taught us everything about perseverance and self-acceptance. He has very strong ideas, and he’s not afraid to be his own person. We’ve had to throw out the parenting books and follow his lead as we navigate his journey every step of the way. It’s been a profound lesson in surrendering control and reimagining a meaningful life outside the “norms.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a psychodynamic psychologist in private practice, offering remote and in-person sessions in Studio City. I work with adolescents on up, and I also adore working with couples. With a background in television, I’m especially drawn to creative people, and I feel honored to work with a diverse range of clients and life stories.

I am really passionate about working with the families of neurodivergent individuals and supporting them as they come to know their children more fully and, in the process, discover new aspects of themselves. I have also been trying to utilize my psychodynamic training in working with autistic adults. There is very little integration of psychodynamic therapy and neurodiversity-affirming practice. Much of the literature is very pathologizing. I think this is a really important area of growth – adapting psychodynamic therapy to meet the needs of the neurodivergent population.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drdebrabrause.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debrabrause/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/drdebrabrause