About Deborah
Deborah "Deb" Likouras is an AASW social worker and counsellor with 23 years of experience. She supports people facing stress and anxiety and also assists those dealing with grief, trauma and relationship strain. Deb aims to meet people where they are and create a calm space to talk things through.
Deb uses a person-centred way of working that keeps the client’s priorities first. She listens closely and helps people set small, practical steps they can try between sessions.
Background and approach
Sessions often focus on coping skills for everyday life, building self‑esteem, and managing mood and worry. Her background includes long experience in health and community services. She has worked in palliative care and cancer services, and has supported people involved with the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Those roles have shaped a practical approach to complex problems. Deb draws on cognitive behavioural techniques and mindfulness to help people notice unhelpful thinking and experiment with different behaviours. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas to clarify values and increase psychological flexibility.
Existential themes are woven in when people want to explore life purpose and meaning. People who choose Deb generally want a steady, respectful counsellor who keeps things straightforward. She is comfortable helping with parenting stress, career transitions, addiction concerns and chronic illness.
Sessions are offered in English and tailored to each person’s pace.
How Deb adapts therapeutic approaches for online care
Deb uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values. ACT is useful for anxiety, stress and life changes because it focuses on action rather than getting stuck in difficult thoughts. She also uses Client‑Centred Therapy, which means sessions are guided by the client’s priorities. This approach creates space to be heard and to work through emotions at a person’s own pace. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is woven into sessions to identify thinking patterns and try practical experiments that reduce worry or low mood. Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. Deb will talk through options and adapt methods to match a person’s goals, preferences and life circumstances. Together they set achievable goals and check what is helping as therapy progresses. Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text‑based messaging. Video allows face‑to‑face conversation, phone needs less bandwidth and can fit into a short break, live chat offers quick check‑ins and messaging suits people who prefer writing. These choices make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, family and health commitments.Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does Deb specialise in?
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What experience does she bring?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Can I work with her if I live outside Australia?
What session formats are available?
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Addictions
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Parenting issues
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Traumatic brain injury
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 23 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English
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