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LMHC

Deborah Hilyard, LMHC

  • Experience34 years
  • LocationFlorida
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesClient-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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About Deborah

Deborah Hilyard is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 34 years of clinical experience in Florida. She earned her graduate degree in counseling in 1988 and has worked across a variety of settings, including career counseling, military family centers, and the foster care system.

Background and approach

Over the years she has supported people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and parenting challenges, grief, addiction, compassion fatigue, and ADHD among other concerns. Her style is warm, interactive, and respectful, focusing on individualized collaboration rather than one-size-fits-all prescriptions.

Deborah blends client-centered listening with cognitive-behavioral techniques, EMDR for trauma processing, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing to create treatment plans shaped around each person’s goals and strengths. She is experienced with assessments and crisis-related work as well as longer-term therapeutic work addressing attachment, codependency, control issues, and life transitions.

Practicing in Florida, Deborah aims to help people build coping skills, improve communication, and regain a sense of agency when life feels overwhelming. She frames therapy as a partnership and emphasizes compassion, sensitivity, and practical strategies to move toward healthier functioning and greater resilience.

Approaches for Online Work and Practical Support

Deborah frequently integrates client-centered therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in online sessions. Client-centered work emphasizes active listening and drawing out each person’s strengths so goals arise from the client’s own priorities; it is especially helpful for building rapport and clarifying what matters most. CBT focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and is commonly used for anxiety, depression, stress, ADHD-related challenges, and coping with life changes.

She also uses EMDR when trauma processing is appropriate, which involves structured recollection and bilateral stimulation to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories. The choice among these methods is collaborative - Deborah works with each person to determine which approaches fit their needs, goals, and comfort level and she adjusts the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, access care from home in Florida, and continue consistent work between appointments. The variety of options supports different communication styles and practical constraints while allowing therapists to apply evidence-informed techniques in a remote setting.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Deborah commonly address?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and family concerns, grief, addictions, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and many related challenges.
What is her therapeutic approach and style?
Her approach is warm and interactive, combining client-centered listening with cognitive-behavioral work, EMDR, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing to tailor treatment to each person.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Deborah brings 34 years of professional experience in counseling across settings such as career services, military family centers, foster care assessments, and clinical mental health practice.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is licensed in Florida as an LMHC with license number FL LMHC MH4832 and provides services while based in that state.
Does she offer services in languages other than English or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for working with her?
She offers multiple online formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different preferences and schedules.
How does payment and cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time and pricing depends on those factors.
What are the steps to begin therapy with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseAnger managementDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

34+ years

Licensed

Florida

Languages

English

What Deborah can help with

Deborah Hilyard works with clients on stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger management, depression, and coping with life changes.

Deborah works with clients through relationship issues, anger, anxiety, and depression.

How Deborah approaches therapy

Deborah's clinical approaches include Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Deborah is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor practicing in Florida, with 34 years of clinical experience.

Therapy style

Deborah aims to support and empower you.