Deborah Gleason, LICSW, LCSW
Trauma-informed social worker focused on practical coping
Book with DeborahWorks with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
How Deborah works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LICSW, LCSW
- Licensed in
- Alabama, Illinois
- Years in practice
- 9
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Deborah
Deborah Gleason is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who helps people manage stress, anxiety, anger, and relationship strain. She works with clients facing trauma, identity questions, depression, addiction, grief, and life transitions.
Deborah writes in a warm, calm way and invites people to notice what is happening inside their bodies as well as in their thoughts. She emphasizes slowing down and paying attention to bodily sensations that can hold emotions.
Background and approach
Sessions may include talking, breath work, grounding, and simple movement to help clients notice patterns and find practical ways to cope day to day. Deborah describes her style as collaborative and nonjudgmental, and she aims to meet each person where they are.
Deborah holds licensure in Alabama and Illinois and brings nine years of experience supporting people through anxiety, trauma and abuse, and LGBTQ related concerns. She has worked with adolescents in group home settings helping them build emotional awareness and self-worth. Her background includes work across many concerns such as parenting, sleep and eating struggles, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.
Clients can expect a focus on increasing awareness of internal signals and testing small changes that feel manageable. The therapist also welcomes discussion of spiritual or inner-meaning questions when that is important to the person. Deborah encourages people to begin without having everything figured out and to explore at their own pace.
Her practice centers on practical tools to regulate the nervous system, reduce overwhelm, and support steady change. Deborah aims to create a space where people feel held enough to be honest, curious, and ready to try new strategies for coping and growth.
What Deborah works with
Everything Deborah lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Deborah's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Deborah lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How these approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice their thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that match their values. ACT can be useful for stress, anxiety, and coping with life changes. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship where the therapist listens and follows the client's lead to build insight and self-understanding. This approach supports emotional processing and self-esteem work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful reactions, which can help with anxiety, anger, and mood concerns.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then try methods collaboratively. That may mean mixing approaches or testing a tool for a few sessions to see if it fits.
Session format options are not specified in the biography, so confirm current session choices before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, help people check in more often, and reduce travel time. Some formats are shorter or require less video bandwidth, which can be helpful for quick mood checks or brief skill practice. Licensed professionals can guide practical exercises and somatic awareness across sessions so tools learned in therapy can be used during day-to-day life.
Questions people ask about Deborah
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, anger, trauma and abuse, relationship concerns, depression, addictions, grief, intimacy issues, eating and sleeping struggles, parenting challenges, ADHD, and related areas.
What is her therapeutic style like?
The style is warm, collaborative, and nonjudgmental. Sessions combine talk, somatic awareness, grounding, mindfulness, and practical tools tailored to everyday life.
How much experience does she have?
She has nine years of clinical experience supporting people through anxiety, trauma, identity questions, and life transitions.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds AL LICSW and IL LCSW licensure and practices from Alabama as part of her listed location.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are accepted; confirm scheduling and any time zone arrangements when you set up sessions.
How does cost and billing work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to get started?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.