LMHC
Deborah Smart, LMHC
- Experience22 years
- LocationFlorida
- Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Relationship
- Therapy approachesAttachment-Based Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Check the available next steps for working with Deborah online.
About Deborah
Deborah Smart is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida with 22 years of clinical experience and graduate training in school and mental health counseling.
Background and approach
She draws on a varied career across multiple counseling settings to address trauma, mood disorders, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and related life transitions. Her background in education and counseling informs a practical, skills-oriented approach that values both insight and real-world change.
Her style is warm, collaborative, and relational, emphasizing connection as the foundation for growth. She incorporates evidence-based methods such as attachment work, cognitive and dialectical strategies, emotionally-focused techniques, and mindfulness to help clients better understand past patterns, improve communication, and reduce emotional distress.
For clients who prefer it, she integrates Christian counseling elements into the therapeutic process. Deborah aims to partner with each person to set clear goals, learn coping tools, and move toward greater clarity, purpose, and well-being.
Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care
Deborah uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy as cornerstones of her work, explaining and teaching practical strategies to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors while also helping clients understand and reshape emotional bonds that affect relationships. CBT provides clear tools for managing anxiety, depression, and everyday stress, and EFT focuses on patterns of emotional connection and communication that often underlie relationship distress.She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness when clients face intense feelings or recurring conflicts. Together with mindfulness practices, these methods aim to increase awareness and provide concrete tools for coping with overwhelming moments. Determining which combination fits best is a collaborative process - Deborah works with each person to match approaches to their goals, preferences, and life circumstances so the plan evolves as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to offer flexibility for varied schedules and needs. These options allow clients to access consistent support from licensed professionals while balancing work, family, and other commitments, making it easier to maintain continuity of care and practice new skills between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
22+ years
Licensed
Florida
Languages
English
What Deborah can help with
Deborah Smart works with clients on stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression.
Deborah works with trauma, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.
How Deborah approaches therapy
Deborah's clinical approaches include Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.
Experience and training
Deborah is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor practicing in Florida, with 22 years of clinical experience.