Barbara Defazzio, LMHC

Barbara Defazzio is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 40 years of clinical experience. She has worked across settings and states, and now sees people from Florida and beyond. She focuses on helping people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, and family conflict.

She spent more than two decades running a private practice in Massachusetts where she concentrated on treating sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress. Since relocating to Florida she has continued working with survivors of sexual and physical trauma and with people who experienced foster care as children. She also has experience doing post-adoption work to help families adjust to a newly adopted child.

Barbara uses practical, person-focused approaches in sessions. She listens closely, helps people name what matters most, and works with them to set small, doable goals. Techniques are chosen to match the person's needs and pace rather than following a single method.

Her toolbox includes approaches that help people manage upsetting thoughts and reactions, build clearer communication, and process painful events. She pays attention to caregiver stress and the tensions that come with blended family or family-of-origin problems. She also helps people cope with loss and the life changes that bring extra strain.

Barbara invites people to take the first step and start a conversation about what they want to change. The initial steps are straightforward and focused on finding the right match and a clear plan for moving forward.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting connection by following the person's lead; online sessions can use that same way of talking to clarify what matters and set priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) addresses patterns of thought and behavior with practical exercises and short homework tasks that people can do between sessions to see small changes. Trauma-Focused Therapy helps people process difficult memories and reactions at a pace that feels manageable, often using grounding and pacing techniques that can be practiced during and after sessions.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will work collaboratively to decide which methods fit a person's goals, history, and comfort level. That means trying practical tools, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan together rather than committing to one method up front.

The original profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by reducing travel, allowing shorter check-ins around work hours, or offering sessions when leaving home would be difficult. Licensed professionals use these approaches to help people manage anxiety, cope with grief, and address trauma while fitting care into everyday routines.