Deborah Maqueira, LMHC

Deborah Maqueira is a licensed mental health counselor who focuses on helping people move past the thoughts that hold them back. She welcomes straightforward work on anxiety, depression, grief, stress, and trauma and abuse. Her style aims to be both direct and compassionate, with room for some humor as people change.

Deborah has 17 years of clinical experience practicing in Florida as an LMHC. She often draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing to help people notice unhelpful thinking and take steps toward different behavior. She also integrates mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas when they fit a person's needs.

In sessions she uses simple, concrete language and sometimes unusual analogies to spark new ways of seeing a problem. That approach helps people break long-held patterns and try new responses in everyday life. Deborah emphasizes collaboration and practical tasks between sessions to build momentum.

People can expect empathy paired with gentle challenge. Deborah aims to create a space where clients can speak honestly about painful topics while working toward clearer goals. She supports problem-solving around relationships, work, parenting concerns, and other life transitions.

If you want a therapist who mixes practical tools with a warm, candid style, Deborah can help you map steps forward and practice them in real situations.

How Deborah uses therapy approaches online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It focuses on taking small committed steps rather than getting stuck trying to eliminate feelings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety or depression. Motivational Interviewing is a conversational style that builds motivation for change and helps clarify what someone wants to do next.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to your goals and preferences, then suggest tools and experiments to try. Over time the plan can be adjusted based on what works and what does not, so clients remain active partners in shaping their care.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten check-ins when needed, and allow work on mindfulness or CBT exercises between meetings. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and homework to an online setting so people can practice real-life skills where they need them most.