What I offer

Services &
how we
work together

Maybe you look fine on the outside while something underneath feels stuck, anxious, or quietly worn down. Whatever brought you here, it's worth understanding. I offer individual, couples, and EMDR therapy for adults across California.

Request Free 15-minute consultation
Deborah Batres' therapy office in Santa Barbara: warm armchairs, soft lamp light, and calming decor

For individuals

Individual
Psychotherapy

You may be carrying more than anyone around you can see. This is your time to explore what is quietly keeping you stuck or making you feel uneasy. This is work that goes beneath the surface to understand what's actually happening, so something can genuinely shift.

Often helpful for

  • Anxiety, stress, and depression
  • Life transitions in career, identity, loss
  • Trauma and nervous-system work
$150 per 50-minute session · Santa Barbara & California telehealth
Start with a free 15-minute consultation

What a first session looks like

  • No pressure to perform. You don't need to have it all figured out, or a perfect way to say it. We assess together. We start wherever you are.
  • We get oriented together. A little of what brought you here, what you're hoping for, and how I work, so you can feel whether it fits.
  • You leave with a sense of direction. Not a fix, but a clearer idea of what the work could look like and whether to keep going.

What a first session looks like

  • You each get to be heard. Not a referee deciding who's right, but space for each of you to say what the fight is really about.
  • We find the pattern. Together we name the loop you keep landing in, so it stops feeling like the relationship is the problem.
  • You leave with a next step. A clearer sense of what's drivable here and whether this is the right work for the two of you.

For couples

Couples
Psychotherapy

You still love each other, and lately it's been hard to find your way back. We get beneath the surface fight to the pattern living underneath it, the one that keeps pulling you into the same place. This isn't about who's right. It's about finding each other again. Grounded in the leading couples therapy methods.

Often helpful for

  • Recurring conflict and communication breakdown
  • Emotional distance and disconnection
  • Rebuilding trust after rupture or betrayal
$180 per 60-minute session · Santa Barbara & California telehealth
Start with a free 15-minute consultation

For trauma

EMDR
Therapy

Some experiences stay lodged in the body long after the mind has tried to move on. EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) is a focused, evidence-based way to help the nervous system reprocess them, often reaching what talk therapy alone can't, so the past loosens its hold on the present.

Often helpful for

  • Single-incident or acute trauma
  • Complex trauma carried over years
  • What talk therapy hasn't shifted
$195 per 50-minute session · Santa Barbara & California telehealth
Start with a free 15-minute consultation

What a first session looks like

  • I explain how EMDR works. You'll understand what we're doing and why before we begin, so it never feels rushed.
  • We work collaboratively. We map out a plan together, and you decide what to work on and when.
  • You will feel resourced. We will work to foster a sense of safety and grounding throughout the entire process.

Ideal fit

Therapy for anxiety,
trauma & life transitions

I work with the person, not the diagnosis. If one of these sounds like you, we should talk.

Life is changing, at any age or stage

A career shift, a loss, a new chapter, or the exploration work of identity and purpose. Whether you're starting again or exploring how to shift what isn't working.

You and your partner are stuck

You love each other and keep landing in the same fight, or something has quietly drifted. Real change happens when you understand what's driving it, not just what's said in the moment.

You're holding it together, but barely

You're driven, and used to having all the answers, and need a place to set that down. Successful on the outside, but anxious or depressed underneath.

The next step

Ready to see if
we're a good fit?

The free 15-minute consultation is a chance to connect, ask questions, and feel out whether working together makes sense. I respond within 48 hours.

Request a free consultation Sliding Scale available. Let's discuss.

What people often ask before beginning

Deborah Batres' therapy office in Santa Barbara: patterned armchairs, a soft sofa, and a window framing the mountains

How do I know if you're the right fit?

That's exactly what the free 15-minute consultation is for. We talk, you ask questions, and you get a feel for how I work. I'll tell you honestly if someone else might serve you better.

What does it cost, and do you take insurance?

All sessions are private pay. On request I provide a superbill you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement, and many PPO plans cover part of it. Worth calling your insurer to ask before we begin.

Do you offer telehealth?

Yes, anywhere in California. In-person sessions are at Botaitis Therapy Group in Santa Barbara. Many clients mix both.

How long does therapy last?

It depends on what you're working on. Some come for a focused stretch around one transition, others stay for deeper, longer-term work. We revisit it as your goals evolve.