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Dr. Debra

Mandel, Ph.D.

Find Your Inner Warrior

Psychologist Author TV/Radio Personality

Available Now on Amazon

Sassy & Rude, Her New Attitude

A Tough Love Guide for Moms on How to Bring Back The Sugar and Spice in Their Not-so-Nice Adult Daughters

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Tough Love

Nationally renowned no-nonsense, yet upbeat and compassionate psychologist

Understanding that one-size does not fit all, Dr. Debra integrates multiple therapeutic modalities with expertise ranging from general life concerns to addictions, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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“Dr. Debra shares her insights with good humour and compassion. Our listeners will love how she holds space for both of the adults in the mother daughter relationship. She generously shares her personal experiences in family and clinical settings to demonstrate real human examples of how these dynamics play out in our lives. Dr. Debra is a delight to connect with and has an obvious wealth of knowledge to share that all listeners and readers could use to improve their relationships.”

Bryde

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“Dr. Mandel shows us, with compassion, how to heal the wounds we carry into our adult relationships, creating permanent, positive changes. After that, things will get better—much better!”

Russell Friedman - Author

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learn how to "take Charge"

Relationship expert with over thirty years experience helping others thrive!

Dr. Debra uses a holistic approach, encouraging her clients to focus on building their inherent strengths rather than dwelling on their weaknesses or shortcomings.

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Become a "warrior for love"

Let Dr. Debra Help you!

As the “warrior for love” Dr. Debra will teach you how to fight for love, keep it alive, and thrive in your relationship.

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About

Dr. Debra

Dr. Debra, author of five books, including her new release Sassy & Rude: Her New Attitude, has been featured on multiple national television and radio shows as a relationship expert, and has co-hosted her own podcast achieving over a million listeners.

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The word “self-esteem” has become as much a part o The word “self-esteem” has become as much a part of our daily conversations as the words “hello” and “good-bye.” We know that having it is good; not having it is bad. And we all pursue getting as much of it as we can. Yet despite all the hoopla about it, many of us remain confused about what it is, especially how to get it.

As a psychologist with over thirty years of experience helping people build a healthy self-image, I’ve come to view self-esteem as comprised of three essential ingredients: self-love, integrity, and responsibility.

💙 Self-love (the experience of embracing, respecting, & valuing our core being) allows us to be nurturing toward ourselves. It enables us to generate compassion and empathy for others.

💙 Integrity (behaving in symphony with our core values) provides the validation of our self-worth, making it real. If we don’t do as we say or say what we mean, we won’t be trusted. Then any sense of self-value becomes based on a facade.

💙 Responsibility (being accountable for our actions, feelings, & thoughts) perpetuates acceptance of our mistakes, humility for our imperfections, and the energy to strive for self-improvement.

These three components provide the foundation to feel good about ourselves, generating a healthy self-image. Practicing self-love, integrity, and responsibility helps to create a balance between appreciating ourselves and valuing others.

Self-esteem doesn’t imply arrogance, as so many of us fear. It does, however, generate confidence and inner strength.

Ideally, our self-esteem develops in childhood. Caregivers create the foundation for positive self-value through demonstrations of love, kindness, and respect for our views and opinions, and a healthy dose of boundaries and structure. However, since so many caregivers lack their own self-worth, they fail to pass along the necessary supplies to their own children. So, many people enter adulthood with holes in the foundation.

The good news is that, even if you didn’t get your emotional needs met and/or if your caregivers treated you in ways that left you feeling unworthy, you can build your self-esteem at any stage of life.
Is there something you could lose in your life tha Is there something you could lose in your life that would allow you to find something better?

➡️ Maybe you’re holding onto feelings of grief, regret, or disappointment.
➡️ Maybe you suffer shame or unresolved trauma from the past.

Could you imagine what your life might be like without the heaviness or burden of carrying something forward that maybe you could finally leave behind?

If so, take the time to heal. You deserve the freedom!
If you're brave enough to say, "goodbye," the univ If you're brave enough to say, "goodbye," the universe may just reward you with a new "hello."

It might not be exactly what you expected (as life rarely is),
It may not be what you planned,
but it may be what you find you needed all along. 

💕 self-love | self care | love yourself | inspirational post | you are worth it | help yourself | bet on yourself
A Quick Guide for Women on Increasing Self-Love: A Quick Guide for Women on Increasing Self-Love:

Self-hatred, feelings of inadequacy, envy of others, and insecurity plague so many women. The message—We’re not okay as we are!

The more we buy the media-prescribed ideal and believe we fall short, the more ammunition we give to the process of self-attack. As such, we easily get sucked into a perpetual cycle of changing our beings, never fully appreciating our outer or inner essence. It's a vicious cycle. 💔

Whenever we pursue change because of self-consciousness, fear of being different from others, or trying to achieve an unreal standard, we enter dangerous territory.

We keep ourselves prisoners of some unreasonable standard, and can never truly live happily.

After thirty-plus years of clinical practice as a psychologist, I’ve come to believe that the key to happiness and peace is to embrace ourselves fully, both our strengths and our limitations. In fact, in many situations, what we often perceive to be our faults can become our greatest assets. But we must make these qualities work for us.

Love and appreciate your unique qualities by using the following tips:
❤️ Acknowledge and heal the wounds from your childhood that get in the way of your ability to cherish yourself. 
❤️ Get rid of shame, negative self-talk, and a harsh inner critic. Replace with words and actions of kindness and encouragement.
❤️ Hold yourself proudly in the world (fake it if you have to until you believe in yourself).
❤️ Unless you intentionally set out to hurt others or act immorally, stop punishing yourself. Save guilt and remorse for when you really do something wrong.
❤️ Celebrate yourself regularly. Spend at least fifteen minutes per day actively acknowledging the good you bring into the world. If you have trouble thinking of the positive, let your friends and loved ones help you until you internalize the message.

If you find that you can’t break the cycle of self-negativity, then please seek counseling. After all, you deserve to feel better about yourself!
A mother‘s love will never die, always there beyon A mother‘s love will never die,
always there beyond the eye!
You may not see it or know it’s there,
but in your heart, you’ll feel it’s care!
So lets never ever, ever take for granted
the mother’s seed we have forever planted.
Because in that gift of heartfelt affection,
the pulse among us solidifies the ever-lasting connection!

Although Mother's Day may be over for 2026, it takes more than one day to celebrate mothers. All that they do, create, and sacrifice for their children - and all children of the world - cannot be over-celebrated. 

celebrating Moms | Mother's Day | mothers and daughters | oldest daughter | middle child | authorgram | helpful books | inner child healing
I’m honored to assist you and your adult daughters I’m honored to assist you and your adult daughters in restoring your relationships. "Sassy And Rude: Her New Attitude" is available now wherever you get your books online.

💖 Helpful tips in layman's terms - Using stories and scenarios, the author provides examples of how mothers of adult daughters can repair their relationships. It is easy to read and helpful. ~ Anonymous

⭐️ A Must Read - I have been a fan of Dr. Debra Mandel's books since I purchased Your Boss is not your Mother. Dr. Mandel gets to the subject matter quickly in her books and gives you the tools to take on the subject matter in a way that respects both sides of the issue. For anyone that sees a Mother and Daughter dynamic in their family, Dr.Mandel's book Sassy and Rude is a must read. ~ Robert Sheehan

📚 adult daughter | self help books | Mom issues | new book alert | raising teenagers | book releases
Sadly, my mom passed away at the young age of 58. Sadly, my mom passed away at the young age of 58. I was just about the same age as my own daughter is now – early 30’s. My relationship with my mom had many trials and tribulations and, unfortunately, ended on a very bad note.

While I miss her so deeply, rather than living in regret or beating myself up with the “if only,” each day I try to choose a better and stronger path with my lovely daughter! So, for this Mother’s Day, I encourage you to cherish your own mom, yourself, and your children (if you have any). Celebrate the positives and avoid dwelling on the annoyances.

Give the gift of love and gratitude 💕

Mother's Day | mothers and daughters | oldest daughter | middle child | authorgram | helpful books | inner child healing
While some folks truly enjoy the rush of a first d While some folks truly enjoy the rush of a first date encounter, many people find the experience to be paralyzing, anxiety-ridden, and something to be avoided at all costs. So how do you keep the dating experience positive and avoid sticking your foot in your mouth? Below are 10 tips to keep in mind if you’d like to get to a second date! (BTW—these guidelines assume you’ve had only minimal contact with the person you’re meeting for the first time.)

📍 Keep the chat light & simple. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t divulge anything personal, but be careful not to explode with intimate details about the traumas and tragedies from your history.
📍 Face-to-face in a neutral space. 
📍 Pick a chill activity. 
📍 Minimize alcohol consumption. If you’re plagued by uncomfortable first-date jitters, excuse yourself to the bathroom and practice healthier relaxation tools, such as deep breathing or soothing visualizations.
📍 Dress like yourself. 
📍 Accept compliments graciously. 
📍 Keep a balanced conversation. 
📍 If you had a nice time, say so. 
📍 Be on time.
📍 No s*x. You deserve more opportunities to discover whether this is a person with whom you’d like to become intimate.

Remember these are just guidelines, not absolutes. Also, keep in mind that sometimes people deserve a second chance. Just like tasting a fine wine—the first sip is not always representative of how it will ultimately either delight or repel your taste buds. Sometimes people also need more than one sampling to truly know whether their flavors will tickle your fancy. So don’t be too hasty and rule someone out at first glance, unless, of course, you see blazing deal-breakers right out of the gate!
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Dr. Debra received her master’s and doctorate degree in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles

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Psychologist, Author, and TV/ Radio Personality

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