Debra Sorkow Kochakji

Debra Sorkow Kochakji is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey, a credential that reflects advanced social work licensure and professional standards (LCSW 44sc00104400).

She brings 37 years of experience, with much of her work centered in school settings supporting students with special needs and behavioral challenges. Her background also includes part-time roles in mental health agencies, in-home counseling, the foster care system, and private practices. Over the years she has primarily worked with teens, children, parents, and families.

Debra uses a direct style balanced with passion, compassion, humor, and dedication. Her primary aim is to empower people to make the changes they want in their lives. She applies a client-centered framework that integrates cognitive behavioral techniques, systemic therapy, values clarification, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and both emotionally focused and solution-focused methods.

She begins by meeting each person where they are, identifying and assessing goals, priorities, cultural norms and values, emotions, and how one communicates needs. Together they work to increase insight and self-awareness of strengths and challenges, and to uncover patterns and perceptions that influence daily life. When helpful, she includes input from friends, family members, or co-workers.

Depending on individual goals, Debra focuses on practical life skills and strategies to build social competence, self-esteem, problem solving, conflict resolution, emotional regulation, coping, and communication. She reports that online counseling has been highly effective and remains very accessible to clients via telehealth.

Committed and available, Debra listens with an empathetic ear and heart and partners with clients to foster meaningful change and a more fulfilling life. Searching for a counselor on Betterhelp is presented in her practice as a first step toward making that change.