Deb Middleton, MSW LCSW ACSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Professional Training
Masters Degree in Social Work, Emphases in Mental Health and Administration, University of Georgia, 1979.
Bachelor's Degree in Social work, Florida State University, 1975.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Academy of Certified Social Workers
- Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
- Filial Therapy
- Play Therapy
- Training in the treatment of Trauma, Attachment Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Bipolar and ADHD.
Professional Experience
Deb has provided Behavioral Health counseling since 1979 in a variety of settings including: mental health centers, schools, private practice, hospitals, and a women’s abuse shelter. Within these settings, she has created and delivered trainings/workshops on Stress Management to management teams, Attachment Disorder workshops to adoptive parents and educators, and parenting classes. She also has extensive experience working with children, Adolescences and Adults dealing with Trauma, adjustments to life situations, grief, depression, anxiety, Bipolar, and ADHD. Her professional career has included positions in Georgia, Colorado, Illinois and Missouri.
Ages treated:
Ages 3 and up
Approach to Therapy
Within her practice, Deb uses a holistic approach defined as finding "wholeness" through acknowledging, honoring, and healing all your parts: Mind, Body, Emotion, and Spirit. She utilizes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to alleviate the effects of trauma in children, Adolescents and adults. Traumas come in all shapes and sizes, and tend to plague us all to varying degrees, at one time or another, whether it’s the Big-T Trauma of abuse, automobile accidents or the loss of a loved one: or the smaller-t trauma a child experiences when encountering emotions that he or she can’t yet put into words. Deb also integrates Cognitive Behavioral therapy, Rational Emotive therapy, Visualization, Relaxation, Play Therapy, Filial Therapy and Motivational Interviewing into her treatment.
Working with young children, Deb views the parents as the ally in the therapeutic process. Parents actively participate in the counseling since they hold emotional significance for their child. She views her role as someone who is merely “passing through” in the child’s life, whereas parents are there forever. Deb strongly encourages both parents to participate in counseling with their children.
Working with Adolescents, Deb differentiates them from adults and young children due to the unique transformations they are experiencing; cognitively, emotionally, and physically. In order for him/her to develop a trusting relationship with her, Deb believes that it is important that parents honor the young person’s right to confidentiality. During the course of even the most normal adolescent period of development, many young people and their families will encounter difficult "spots" which can be helped by a period of time spent in counseling. In these cases, adolescents may be seen separately or with their parents, or with the entire family as the need arises.
Deb strives to provide a collaborative and trusting environment with the person. Her belief is that the answers to alleviate our emotional distress are within each of us and her responsibility is to guide, supply tools and gently confront clients’ belief systems to facilitate change. Deb states, “I believe we are all a work of art in progress. I have been honored to work with many beautiful people that have gone through significant pain and sorrow and allowed me to participate in their healing journey.”
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Deb’s practice specialties or interests:
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Deb spent most of her childhood in rural Illinois. She ventured south for College in Florida and Georgia. After Graduate School she returned to Illinois and married her childhood sweetheart. She and her husband, Bob, have two beautiful daughters and a great son-in-law. They raised their daughters in the nurturing environment of Brookfield, Mo. Deb loves the beach, enjoys reading, gardening, sewing, cooking and eating great food, which means exercising is a necessity. She is pursuing new adventures, last September she went Skydiving and had a fantastic experience!
Email Deb Middleton at: Deborah.Middleton@findyourlifesong.com
