Learn How to Relish Life and THRIVE!

About “Dr. Debra”

          Looking for a down-to-earth, fun-loving, compassionate, yet no-nonsense, therapist? Look no further!

          “Dr. Debra” Mandel, a renowned psychologist and relationship expert, has over twenty years of experience helping individuals, couples and families (pre-teens through geriatrics) who suffer from broken hearts, troubled relationships, anxiety, sleep disorders, stress, childhood mistreatment, eating disorders, addictions, depression, workplace/career issues, and general life concerns. She sees clients out of two offices, Encino and Thousand Oaks, California. She is also affiliated with Seasons Recovery Center, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Malibu, where she treats clients suffering from addition and their families.

          Dr. Debra has authored of four published books including: Don’t Call Me a Drama Queen! A Guide for The Overly Sensitive and Their Significant Others Who Need to Learn How to Lighten Up and Go With the Flow(Alyson, 2008), Dump That Chump: From Doormat to Diva in Only Nine Steps—A Guide to Getting Over Mr. Wrong (Harper Collins, 2007), Your Boss is Not Your Mother: Eight Steps to Eliminating Office Drama and Creating Positive Relationships at Work (Agate, 2006) and Healing the Sensitive Heart: How to Stop Getting Hurt, Build Your Inner Strength, and Find the Love You Deserve (Adams Media, 2003). She also has two CDs: The Abuser-Friendly Syndrome and Creating Healthy Boundaries in the Workplace.

          Dr. Debra is heavily sought out by the media having appeared on numerous national television programs as a relationship expert including: Raising Sextuplets,, Love Handles, and The Tyra Banks Show. She has been a regularly featured expert on Fox News Live and The Larry Elder Show and she has appeared on The Today Show (expert on newly divorce women), The O’Reilly Factor (expert on kidnapping and trauma), CNN Headline News (expert on teens and self-esteem), Fox TV’s The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet (expert on a variety of topics), Inside Edition (expert on the effects of trauma scenes on child actors), CBS’s The Early Show, The Learning Channel’s The 750 Pound Man (expert on obesity), FX’s 30 Days (expert on fear of aging and the impact on relationships, produced by Morgan Spurlock, known for his critically acclaimed film Supersize Me), NBC’s Starting Over (expert on post-traumatic stress disorder), and VH1’s Britney’s Secret Childhood. She was also highlighted as the sex therapist/psychologist on Fox Television’s hit My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé. While on tour to promote her books, Dr. Debra has also appeared on multiple national network affiliates (ABC, CBS, and NBC) in the major metropolitan cities, as well on many cable shows.

          Dr. Debra has hosted her own popular weekly radio program in Los Angeles and has also been a featured guest expert on over 400 national and local radio programs and has been known as the “resident shrink” in several radio markets. She has been featured in the printed media as a columnist, offering readers choices (without dishing out dictums) and then helping them claim responsibility for what they choose.

          Dr. Debra is regularly interviewed and quoted in articles for many national magazines such as Glamour, Fitness, More, Cosmopolitan, Lifetime, In Touch, Time, First for Women, Fit, Teen, All About Me, Men’s Health and Pregnancy on a range of topics including: relationships, sex, PMS, love and friendship, procrastination, working moms, boundaries and healthy weight loss. She’s frequently solicited for her advice from contributing writers for Cosmopolitan, Time, the New York Times and USA Today.

          No stranger to the lecture platform, Dr. Debra has addressed colleagues, hospital professionals, and college and general audiences on many topics including “Shame and Unhealthy Coping,” “I’m Hungry But Not for Food,” “Bulimia, Anorexia, and Personality Disorders,” “Managing Anxiety,” “Sex-Role Issues,” “Eating Disorders,” “The Tenderhearted Trap,” and “Creating Healthy Boundaries in the Workplace.”

          Dr. Debra’s dynamic and invaluable advice is backed by impeccable academic credentials. A member of the American Psychological Association and the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, Dr. Debra graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Northridge, in just three years, and then received her Master’s in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1984. She earned her doctorate degree in clinical psychology in 1987 and was licensed to practice in California in 1989. In addition to advanced training in Gestalt therapy, she has also received specialized training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), a therapy approach particularly beneficial to trauma patients.

          Most importantly, whether in the office or on-air, Dr. Debra exudes passion toward her clients and gives her all to help people learn to THRIVE!

See Dr. Mandel's Professional CV