- Stress and anxiety
- Family of origin
- CBT and EMDR
About Deborah
Deborah Hilyard is a Florida licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 34 years of experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, and a wide range of life changes. Deborah also lists help with parenting, career problems, grief, addictions, ADHD, and other practical struggles people bring to counseling.
She completed a graduate degree in counseling at the University of Memphis in 1988 and has worked in campus career counseling, military family centers, foster care assessments, and community mental health settings. Her background includes developing transitional programs for service members leaving the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy and providing mental health counseling for service members and their families.
In practice she uses client-centered techniques alongside cognitive behavioral strategies, EMDR, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. Sessions typically focus on clear problems such as anger, parenting difficulties, job stress, coping with separation or divorce, and managing symptoms related to mood and anxiety.
Deborah describes a direct and interactive counseling style. Conversations are problem-focused and practical, with attention to how patterns from the family people grew up in influence current behavior and relationships. She aims to address communication problems, attachment issues, codependency, and blended family concerns through structured talk and skill-building.
People who choose her often want straightforward help sorting patterns from their past, building new ways of relating, and managing everyday demands. To begin, she asks prospective clients to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session to outline goals and steps forward.
How Deborah’s approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and reflecting so people can describe concerns and decide on goals. It helps when someone needs to talk through family patterns, relationship conflicts, or difficult emotions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and anger management. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) works with how memories are processed and can be used when past events continue to affect daily life.Finding the best approach is part of the process. The therapist and client review the presenting problems and try methods that fit the person's needs and preferences. Decisions about which techniques to use are made together and can change as work progresses.
Confirm current session options before booking. This profile does not list specific formats, so check what Deborah offers for remote work. Online appointments can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. They also let people join from different locations in their state while keeping therapy focused on clear goals, skills practice, and addressing family-of-origin patterns.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
34+ years
Listed in
Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship problems, parenting challenges, grief, addictions, ADHD, and related issues such as attachment and blended family concerns.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her approach is interactive and problem-focused, combining client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral tools, EMDR, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing as appropriate.
How much experience does she have?
She has 34 years of experience in counseling, including work in campus career services, military family centers, foster care assessments, and community mental health.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She is an LMHC licensed in Florida and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Looking for someone else? Find them by surname.