About Barbara
Barbara Defazzio is a licensed mental health counselor with 40 years of experience. She practices in Florida and has spent decades helping people cope with trauma, anxiety, and major life changes. She keeps language direct and sessions focused on practical steps people can use right away.
Before relocating to Florida she ran a independent practice in Massachusetts for over 20 years, concentrating on sexual abuse and its aftermath. That work included treating post-traumatic stress linked to abuse and supporting people who came through the foster care system.
Background and approach
She has also supported families through adoption transitions and the common tensions that follow bringing a new child into the home. In her work she focuses on stress, anxiety, family conflict, grief, and coping with loss. She also addresses issues like abandonment, attachment concerns, caregiver strain, isolation, and guilt or shame.
Barbara offers straightforward support aimed at helping people regain routine and confidence after hard experiences. Her approach blends client-centered care with practical methods such as cognitive behavioral strategies and solution-focused work. She also uses trauma-focused techniques and motivational interviewing when helpful.
Sessions are paced to match each person’s needs and goals. Barbara aims to make the first steps simple. She guides people through deciding what to work on and how to try small changes between sessions.
That practical orientation helps people see manageable progress over time.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to each person's concerns with warmth and respect. It helps people feel heard and supports them in finding their own solutions, which can be especially useful when processing grief or family stress.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses straightforward tools to change unhelpful thinking and behavior, and it works well for anxiety, stress, and coping with life changes.
Trauma-Focused Therapy targets the symptoms and memories that follow traumatic events. It provides ways to process difficult memories and reduce symptoms like hypervigilance or flashbacks, often using paced, step-by-step work.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. Adjustments are made as progress unfolds so care stays practical and relevant.
Online sessions offer flexibility for busy schedules and varied needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that feels important. Phone sessions can be a lighter option when video isn’t needed or bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging support quick check-ins, brief reflections, or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to keep continuity of care and fit therapy into daily life.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Post-traumatic stress
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 40 years
- Licensed
- Florida
- Languages
- English