Deborah Hilyard

Deborah Hilyard is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) practicing in Florida with 34 years of experience. She draws on decades of work across community, military, and child welfare settings to help people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, and life transitions. Her tone is warm and interactive, and she aims to treat each person with respect and compassion.

She completed a graduate degree in counseling at the University of Memphis in 1988 and has worked in career counseling, military family centers, and the foster care system. Those roles included setting up a transitional program for service members, offering mental health counseling for service members and their families, and conducting comprehensive assessments for children in foster care.

Clients come with a wide range of concerns, and Deborah has addressed relationship strain, parenting challenges, anger, grief, addiction, and issues tied to trauma and abuse. She also works with people facing changes related to aging, caregiving, adoption and foster care, and career stress.

Her approach blends client-centered work with cognitive behavioral techniques, EMDR, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. Sessions focus on practical steps and conversational collaboration tailored to each person’s needs. Deborah avoids stigmatizing labels and works to create a respectful space for people to talk through what matters to them.

She encourages those ready to make changes to take a first step toward greater balance and resilience. Deborah aims to support and empower clients as they build coping skills and move through life changes.

Approaches that translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person. It helps build trust and supports people who want a compassionate space to talk through life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and teaches practical skills to change them; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR, is aimed at reducing distress tied to traumatic memories and uses structured procedures to process those memories.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist will work together with the client to choose and adjust methods based on needs, goals, and what feels comfortable. Sessions are collaborative and adapt over time as progress is made.

Session formats are not specified here, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people continue work after moves or during transitions, while the therapist and client focus on practical tools and steady progress.