Deborah Richardson
Compassionate, practical therapy for life’s hard moments
LCSW Tennessee
- Experience
- 45 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Depression
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Deborah
Deborah Richardson is a licensed clinical social worker with 45 years of practice. She blends relationship-focused tools like the Gottman Method with practical therapies to help people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and life changes.
Background and approach
Deb writes simply and listens closely to understand what matters most to each person. She uses clear, hands-on techniques rather than jargon.
Sessions may include talking through hard events, practicing new ways to communicate, writing about feelings, or using small creative activities. The goal is to build skills that fit everyday life and feel doable.
Her background spans inpatient and outpatient care, a nursing home, group home work, and prison settings. She also spent fifteen years in forensic psychiatry and more than two decades in independent practice.
That range shaped a flexible style that adapts to different needs and life stages. Deb completed a teaching degree and a Master of Social Work from The University of Tennessee.
Her credential is LCSW, which stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She brings decades of experience rather than a single narrow method.
Outside of sessions she keeps a light touch and often uses stories, music, or simple art to help people name feelings. She values straight talk, small practical steps, and remembering life events that matter.
Her aim is to help people mend hearts, fill the potholes in their road, and find the next step forward.
Approach-focused care delivered online
Deborah commonly uses the Gottman Method to help people improve communication patterns, reduce repeated conflicts, and increase emotional connection. Gottman-informed work focuses on small, practical interaction changes that can ease relationship stress.She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and still move toward valued goals. Attachment-Based Therapy helps name early patterns that shape current relationships and builds new ways of relating that feel safer and more reliable.
Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Deborah works collaboratively to match methods to a person's needs, goals, and preferences rather than applying a single technique. She discusses options and adjusts the plan as progress and challenges appear.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and teaching new skills. Phone sessions can be easier when someone needs less bandwidth or prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and texting work well for brief check-ins, grounding strategies, or daily support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue work during transitions or travel.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
45+ years
Licensed in
Tennessee
Languages
English