Profile / United States
Barbara Defazzio, LMHC
Florida
LMHC in Florida - trauma and family concerns
See online therapy options- Stress and anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Post-adoption work
About Barbara
Barbara Defazzio is a Florida LMHC with 40 years of professional experience. She has worked in private practice and in trauma-focused settings, and she helps people facing stress, anxiety, family conflict, trauma and abuse, grief, and life changes.
She spent over 20 years running a private practice in Massachusetts where much of her work focused on sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress. After relocating to Florida she continued treating physical and sexual trauma and supporting people who experienced the foster care system as children.
Barbara also provides post-adoption support, helping parents and children adjust to new family arrangements. She has worked with blended family concerns and family-of-origin issues that complicate relationships at home. Her background includes supporting caregiver stress and aging or geriatric concerns.
Her approach draws on several practical methods. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and habits. She also uses client-centered techniques to follow a person’s concerns and motivational interviewing to help clarify goals and next steps.
Sessions focus on clear, problem-solving conversations. Topics often include attachment issues, abandonment, communication problems, guilt and shame, isolation, and recovery from sexual assault. People come to her when they need steady, experienced help sorting difficult feelings and figuring out manageable next steps.
How her approaches translate to online work
Barbara commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and adjust unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT sessions typically involve setting concrete goals, practicing new responses, and checking what works between meetings. Client-centered work focuses on listening and following the person's priorities, helping them name what matters most and set next steps together.Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide whether CBT, client-centered methods, motivational interviewing, or trauma-focused techniques fit best for their goals and preferences. That choice can shift as needs change.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm which online options are offered before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and remove the need to travel. The therapist aims to match methods and scheduling to practical life demands while addressing trauma, anxiety, grief, and family-related struggles.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
40+ years
Listed in
Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, family conflict, trauma and abuse, grief, and coping with life changes. Additional areas include post-traumatic stress, sexual assault recovery, and adoption-related concerns.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
She uses CBT to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and patterns and to try different ways of responding. CBT is applied where changing thought or behavior patterns can reduce distress.
What is her background and experience?
Barbara has 40 years of professional experience, including over 20 years in private practice in Massachusetts and subsequent work in Florida focused on trauma and adoption-related issues.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an LMHC licensed in Florida and practices from Florida.
In which languages can I work with her?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
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.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.