Deborah Butler, LPC-MHSP

Deborah Butler is a Tennessee licensed counselor with 41 years of professional experience across a range of work settings. She holds the LPC-MHSP credential - Licensed Professional Counselor - Mental Health Service Provider - and draws on long practice helping people develop skills for anxiety and stress management, conflict resolution, interpersonal effectiveness, feelings management, communication, decision making, goal setting, time management, assertiveness, and leadership.

She works primarily with adults and has a special focus on women’s issues. Much of her practice addresses life transitions - for example career searches, new relationships, losses, aging, and the empty nest - where learning new coping and effectiveness strategies can make a practical difference. Deborah is also a Certified Tele-Mental Health Provider for virtual counseling and notes that telehealth can be an effective way to receive care.

Appointments are generally scheduled beginning at 9:00 AM CST (10:00 AM EST) with the last weekday appointments at 6:00 PM EST (5:00 PM CST) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Saturday morning sessions are available. Additional weekday openings can sometimes be arranged by request. Messaging is checked at least every other day, and sessions may include worksheets and other written resources as appropriate.

Therapy is adapted to each person’s needs and preferences, with the therapist and client collaborating to find the strategies that work best. Deborah acknowledges that each person is the expert on their own story and aims to build on existing strengths as clients work toward their goals.

Therapeutic approaches for virtual care

Deborah Butler uses several practical approaches that work well in online therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns and replace them with more effective ways of thinking and acting; it is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and daily coping challenges. Mindfulness Therapy focuses on present-moment awareness and gentle acceptance of experience, offering skills to reduce reactivity and improve emotional regulation during transitions or losses. Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes clear goals and small, forward-focused steps so clients can build on what is already working and see practical progress.

Finding the right approach is part of the collaborative process. Deborah works with each person to select and adapt methods based on their needs, goals, and preferences, combining strategies when that helps clients move forward.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - so people can fit care into busy schedules and stay engaged from home or while traveling. Licensed professionals can provide meaningful support through these formats, and Deborah’s tele-mental health certification supports effective virtual work with clients.