Deborah Jost-Beauford, LCPC

Deborah Jost-Beauford is an Illinois licensed professional counselor (LCPC) with 15 years of clinical experience. She practices psychotherapy in Chicago and brings a calm, personable presence to sessions. Deborah focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions while addressing concerns like grief, trauma, and caregiver strain.

Her background includes work with people across the lifespan, including older adults, and a history supporting those facing chronic illness, end-of-life fears, and hospice-related concerns. She combines several well-known therapeutic approaches to match each person's needs, and she uses practical tools to help clients build coping skills and feel steadier day to day.

In the room she aims for a warm, adaptable style. Deborah listens closely, helps people name what matters, and suggests exercises that fit everyday life. Treatment can include talking, grounding and mindfulness practices, and strategies to manage difficult emotions and behavior.

She also brings experience supporting people with eating concerns, sleep problems, attention differences, and compassion fatigue. Deborah helps clients work through relationship and family issues while keeping the focus on the individual's goals and strengths.

People who choose her often want a therapist who is encouraging and practical. She emphasizes stepwise progress, clear tools, and respect for each person's identity and experience. To begin, clients complete a short questionnaire and schedule their first appointment.

Therapeutic approaches and working online

Deborah uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to guide much of her work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and trying more useful behaviors to reduce anxiety or depression. ACT helps people clarify personal values and take small, committed steps toward a meaningful life while accepting difficult feelings.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance when strong emotions or impulsivity get in the way. DBT skills teach techniques for grounding, managing intense feelings, and improving interpersonal effectiveness.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Deborah will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before to pick methods that fit each person. This is a collaborative process and methods can be adjusted as progress is made.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm session formats before booking since specific options are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, remove travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when that is helpful. It can also make it simpler to use mindful grounding or homework between meetings so therapeutic skills transfer into everyday life.