- Family and parenting
- Guilt and shame
- Panic and anxiety
About Debra
Debra Abbey is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Connecticut with six years of clinical experience. She moved into counseling after a first career in public safety and now focuses on issues such as stress, anxiety, family and parenting concerns, self-esteem, and ADHD. Debra also lists additional areas she works with, including guilt and shame, blended family issues, caregiver stress, communication problems, impulsivity, and panic symptoms.
Her background includes time in an intensive outpatient program and work as a mobile crisis response clinician during the COVID period. She has also supervised services in a school-based health center and supported children and families in that setting. These roles informed how she structures practical, direct sessions and how she responds when someone is overwhelmed or in crisis.
Debra is a Certified ADHD clinical services provider and uses that experience to help people manage attention-related challenges and the daily frustrations they bring. She describes working with young adolescents and their families, drawing on hands-on experience from school and community settings.
In sessions she tends to be straightforward and focused on what the person is facing now. Conversations move from what feels most urgent to small, manageable steps people can try between meetings. She also pays attention to how family roles, faith, or past choices can leave someone carrying guilt or shame and helps them talk through those specific experiences.
Practical problems like sleep disruption, panic attacks, or difficulty communicating with a partner are addressed alongside longer-term goals about self-worth and life purpose. People who prefer clear plans and direct feedback may find her approach fits well.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online sessions
Debra describes using evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on managing symptoms and building practical skills. One common approach she uses teaches specific coping skills for panic and anxiety - breathing, grounding, and short behavioral experiments to interrupt intense symptoms. This helps when panic attacks or overwhelming anxiety get in the way of daily life.She also draws on strategies used with attention challenges and ADHD, such as organizing routines, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and tracking what helps concentration. These techniques aim to reduce daily friction and make tasks feel more doable rather than overwhelming.
Working out the right approach is part of the work together. She will review what the person hopes to address, try approaches that fit those goals, and adjust plans based on what helps most. The choice of techniques is collaborative and based on needs, preferences, and what shows early progress.
Practical benefits of online sessions include fitting meetings into a busy week and reducing travel time so therapy can be easier to keep up. If you want to know which session types are offered, please confirm the current options before booking since the biography does not list formats. Many people find that shorter check-ins, phone calls when bandwidth is limited, or video meetings for fuller conversation each serve different practical needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
6+ years
Listed in
Connecticut
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, family and parenting concerns, self-esteem, ADHD, and related issues such as guilt and shame, panic symptoms, and communication problems.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is direct and practical, focusing on what feels most urgent and breaking problems into manageable steps to try between sessions.
What is her professional background?
She is in her sixth year providing therapeutic services after a prior career in public safety, with experience in outpatient programs, mobile crisis response, and school-based supervision.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a CT LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor based in Connecticut.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She does not accept international clients.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not specify formats on file.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and 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 or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.