- 22 years experience
- Focus on sleep issues
- Direct and down-to-earth
About Debra
Debra Shelton is a licensed counselor with 22 years of experience who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, sleep problems, and relationship or family difficulties. She writes in plain terms and invites people who feel stuck or overwhelmed to take a first step toward change. Her approach is straightforward and respectful, aimed at making therapy useful and approachable.
Debra keeps sessions interactive and down-to-earth. She blends ideas from cognitive behavioral approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and client-centered work. In a typical session she listens, asks practical questions, and suggests skills you can try between meetings.
She focuses on building problem-solving skills and exploring new ways of responding to difficult feelings. For people coping with compassion fatigue, caregiver stress, blended family challenges, or major life transitions, she offers attention to both immediate coping and longer-term patterns. Sleeping concerns are one of the issues she addresses when they come up in therapy.
Her style is direct but casual and respectful. Debra encourages clients to try small changes, notice what works, and adjust the plan together. Progress often comes from repeated practice and simple shifts in daily routines.
Clients can expect to learn practical tools from talk-based work, mindfulness practices, and behavioral steps. The goal is to help people feel more able to handle daily life, repair strained relationships, and move forward after loss or trauma.
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice their values and take small action steps toward them while accepting uncomfortable feelings. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life changes when someone wants a values-based plan. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviors to change mood and routines; it often includes practical exercises you can try between sessions. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening, empathy, and helping the client find their own answers through supportive conversation.Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. The therapist will work collaboratively to choose methods that fit a person’s goals, preferences, and daily life. That may mean combining elements from ACT, CBT, and client-centered work and adjusting the plan as progress is made.
The original profile does not list which online formats are offered, so confirm current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes it possible to continue care when traveling or living outside the therapist’s immediate area. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises, mindfulness practices, and behavioral plans to an online setting so clients can practice skills between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
22+ years
Credentials
Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Debra commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, sleeping problems, self esteem, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is interactive, direct, casual, and respectful. Sessions focus on practical questions, skills practice, and trying small changes over time.
What kind of background does she bring to therapy?
She has 22 years of clinical experience and several years working with online counseling services. That experience informs a practical approach to problem solving and coping.
What credentials and location are listed for this clinician?
She holds LPC and LMHC credentials and practices from Florida. The credential list includes TN LPC and FL LMHC MH as provided.
In which languages can sessions be held and are international clients supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she does accept international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original profile does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working with her?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.