Therapy Services for Deaf/Hard of Hearing People
A variety of psychotherapy services are available within my practice for deaf and hard of hearing clients of all ages, including those with cochlear implants. I communicate fluently in American Sign Language so there is no need for an interpreter. As such, you can be assured that:
- Your therapy is completely private.
- None of your appointment’s time or money will be used as you wait for an interpreter to communicate with the therapist.
- You won’t be told that you have to wait to schedule your therapy appointment until an interpreter can be hired.
- There are no additional fees beyond those for my direct services.
Whether you are seeking help for yourself or your child, I can be of assistance.
- I offer play therapy for young children as well as traditional therapy services for older children and adolescents.
- If you need me to help you with family problems, I can do that.
- If you need help with problems in your marriage, I can do that.
- If you need help with parenting problems, I can do that, too.
I offer the full array of services to deaf and hard of hearing clients that are available in my therapy practice.
I am not a provider with any insurance companies, either private or governmental. Should you decide to contact me, we can discuss my fees at that time.
Please take a moment to visit the Consultation tab under the Deaf Services pull-down menu on my website. There you can learn more about my background, training, and expertise providing mental health services to deaf people in communities around the U.S.
Hi, my name is Dr. Lyons. My name sign is “D” “L”. A lot of people are curious and ask me, “Where did you get your name sign?” That’s really a very interesting story and I’m happy to share it with you when we get together.
I’m a psychologist and I work with deaf people of all ages, including children, teen-agers, and adults. I help people with marital problems, divorce issues, depression, anxiety, basically any emotional problem that you have that needs help I can assist with.
Because I’m skilled in sign language, you don’t need to hire an interpreter for your counseling appointments. That’s a big advantage because it makes the therapy much more private. And it makes it easier for you to set up appointments because scheduling only depends on your schedule and my schedule.
A lot of people wonder, “How often will I have to come to therapy, and how long will I have to continue my therapy?” Really, that depends on your specific circumstances and the depth of the problems that you are experiencing. But, usually people come every week to an appointment that lasts about 45-50 minutes.
It’s important to me that you have a good experience in therapy and I want you to feel supported by me. I want you to feel safe in therapy. I want you to feel that you are getting my complete attention and that you are being listened to. I want you to feel respected by me, and your concerns should also be respected.
You don’t have to worry about interacting with other hearing people in my practice. It’s just me here. There’s no assistant, no secretary. Any time you contact me I will contact you back directly.
It’s the two of us working together helping you to reach your therapy goals and to feel better!
Thank you. I hope to talk to you soon.
There is no one more significant in the village that helped us raise our four children (two boys and two girls) than Dr. Lyons. Beginning with grief counseling when our youngest was in the third grade through four varied adolescent experiences with all their twists and turns, she worked wonders through her professional blend of knowledge, patience, creativity, and nurture. She taught us that individual challenges are always family matters. And now that our kids are grown and moving on, we all believe that our family is deeply indebted to Dr. Lyons for the helping hand she repeatedly provided each and every time we needed it.
D.G. and N.G. - Family Therapy PatientsI sought the assistance of Dr. Lyons as a college student who was struggling with the demands of a rigorous curriculum. Dr. Lyons did a thorough assessment of my attention difficulties and I was able to get a diagnosis and report that not only informed the way I navigated my studies but also could have enabled me to receive the appropriate support from my University if I chose to seek it. Throughout the process, Dr. Lyons validated my concerns about the learning process and helped me to better understand myself as a learner. Â My experience with her was invaluable and I believe strongly that the self-awareness that Dr. Lyons helps foster is a powerful tool for any student. Â Dr. Lyons is a compassionate and dedicated professional who truly has made a difference in my life.
Gratefully,
R.S. - Adult Therapy PatientDebbie helped our family through a frightening, sad time with her thoughtful, supportive approach to the collaborative process and amazing ability to translate our sometimes very negative comments into useful dialogue. Post-divorce, my children and I are doing very well and Debbie continues to be excited to hear about our welfare. She is a gem!
HM (Happy Mom) - Collaborative Divorce Case
I asked my daughter what her favorite thing about going to see Dr Lyons was.  Her answer was that she got to play board games after school with her. The game collection is amazing and helped my daughter relax when she was first starting with Dr. Lyons.
E.R. - Child Therapy Patient
Dr. Lyons was an effective and compassionate therapist for my needs. She provided me with valuable insights and ongoing support to encourage my personal growth.  She communicates effectively in ASL and has a deep understanding of Deaf Culture and the challenges that Deaf clients face in society.
S.J. - Deaf Therapy Patient
I'm extremely pleased with the correct diagnosis (not ADHD) and treatment my child received under Dr Lyons care. Â She is now a college student and able to enjoy life without all the extra challenges she faced before treatment.
S.O. - Adolescent Therapy Patient
At the time of my son's first visit with Dr. Lyons, he had few friends, was lacking basic conversational skills and had low self esteem. Dr. Lyons not only taught him the social skills to be successful in middle school and high school,  but she gave him the skills and self confidence to be successful in life.  It was hard work, but the benefits have been priceless.
R.W. - Adolescent Therapy Patient
I visited Dr. Lyons for several years through middle school into high school, and saw noticeable improvements in my physical health. I have not had chest pains or migraines in years!
M.O. - Adolescent Therapy Patient
My son saw Dr. Lyons for almost 3 years between the 4th and 6th grades. Â He benefitted tremendously from her counsel during this time. Â Dr. Lyons was easy to work with and was spot on in her assessment of my son and where he was struggling. Â At the end of each session, we debriefed on, not only on how that week's session had gone, but also on how the strategies she and my son were working on were translating into his world outside of her office. Â I appreciated that she was holistic in her approach and really wanted to work with his school to ensure the techniques and strategies were utilized in that environment, as well. Â She often helped me to understand how to talk to the school to seek out the right kind of assistance from them. Â I would and have recommended her to others who are looking for Clinical Psychologists for their child.
K.G. - Child Therapy Patient
During a time when my identity was wrapped solely around the needs of others, Deborah Lyons provided me tools to develop an stronger, confident and self-loving person. On the heels of an international move, she helped me navigate the complexity of my divorce and custody battle. Her expertise and emotional support provided me with an understanding of how events in my life led to an unhealthy and frustrating situation. By learning to trust my intuition I gained a sense of autonomy and empowerment I didn't realize existed before meeting her. My current success is a direct and measurable result of therapy sessions with her.
S.N. - Adult Therapy Patient
After searching the United States for a psychologist to evaluate our deaf daughter, we travelled to Austin for Dr. Lyons to test her. Our daughter, in addition to being deaf has multiple disabilities, she is a real challenge. Dr. Lyons met that challenge, she was caring and creative in her testing. She was on the floor with our daughter because that's what it took to get the task done! Dr. Lyons has always been there as a support for our family.
C.E. - Deaf Child Psychological Evaluation
I sought the assistance of Dr. Lyons as a college student who was struggling with the demands of a rigorous curriculum. Dr. Lyons did a thorough assessment of my attention difficulties and I was able to get a diagnosis and report that not only informed the way I navigated my studies but also could have enabled me to receive the appropriate support from my University if I chose to seek it. Throughout the process, Dr. Lyons validated my concerns about the learning process and helped me to better understand myself as a learner. My experience with her was invaluable and I believe strongly that the self-awareness that Dr. Lyons helps foster is a powerful tool for any student. Dr. Lyons is a compassionate and dedicated professional who truly has made a difference in my life.
Gratefully,R.S. - Adult Therapy Patient March 1, 2016
There is no one more significant in the village that helped us raise our four children (two boys and two girls) than Dr. Lyons. Beginning with grief counseling when our youngest was in the third grade through four varied adolescent experiences with all their twists and turns, she worked wonders through her professional blend of knowledge, patience, creativity, and nurture. She taught us that individual challenges are always family matters. And now that our kids are grown and moving on, we all believe that our family is deeply indebted to Dr. Lyons for the helping hand she repeatedly provided each and every time we needed it.
D.G. and N.G. - Family Therapy Patients March 1, 2016
I asked my daughter what her favorite thing about going to see Dr Lyons was. Her answer was that she got to play board games after school with her. The game collection is amazing and helped my daughter relax when she was first starting with Dr. Lyons.
E.R. - Child Therapy Patient March 1, 2016
I'm extremely pleased with the correct diagnosis (not ADHD) and treatment my child received under Dr Lyons care. She is now a college student and able to enjoy life without all the extra challenges she faced before treatment.
S.O. - Adolescent Therapy Patient March 1, 2016
Dr. Lyons was an effective and compassionate therapist for my needs. She provided me with valuable insights and ongoing support to encourage my personal growth. She communicates effectively in ASL and has a deep understanding of Deaf Culture and the challenges that Deaf clients face in society.
S.J. - Deaf Therapy Patient March 1, 2016
Debbie helped our family through a frightening, sad time with her thoughtful, supportive approach to the collaborative process and amazing ability to translate our sometimes very negative comments into useful dialogue. Post-divorce, my children and I are doing very well and Debbie continues to be excited to hear about our welfare. She is a gem!
HM (Happy Mom) - Collaborative Divorce Case March 1, 2016
After searching the United States for a psychologist to evaluate our deaf daughter, we travelled to Austin for Dr. Lyons to test her. Our daughter, in addition to being deaf has multiple disabilities, she is a real challenge. Dr. Lyons met that challenge, she was caring and creative in her testing. She was on the floor with our daughter because that's what it took to get the task done! Dr. Lyons has always been there as a support for our family.
C.E. - Deaf Child Psychological Evaluation March 1, 2016
My son saw Dr. Lyons for almost 3 years between the 4th and 6th grades. He benefitted tremendously from her counsel during this time. Dr. Lyons was easy to work with and was spot on in her assessment of my son and where he was struggling. At the end of each session, we debriefed on, not only on how that week's session had gone, but also on how the strategies she and my son were working on were translating into his world outside of her office. I appreciated that she was holistic in her approach and really wanted to work with his school to ensure the techniques and strategies were utilized in that environment, as well. She often helped me to understand how to talk to the school to seek out the right kind of assistance from them. I would and have recommended her to others who are looking for Clinical Psychologists for their child.
K.G. - Child Therapy Patient March 1, 2016
During a time when my identity was wrapped solely around the needs of others, Deborah Lyons provided me tools to develop an stronger, confident and self-loving person. On the heels of an international move, she helped me navigate the complexity of my divorce and custody battle. Her expertise and emotional support provided me with an understanding of how events in my life led to an unhealthy and frustrating situation. By learning to trust my intuition I gained a sense of autonomy and empowerment I didn't realize existed before meeting her. My current success is a direct and measurable result of therapy sessions with her.
S.N. - Adult Therapy Patient March 1, 2016
At the time of my son's first visit with Dr. Lyons, he had few friends, was lacking basic conversational skills and had low self esteem. Dr. Lyons not only taught him the social skills to be successful in middle school and high school, but she gave him the skills and self confidence to be successful in life. It was hard work, but the benefits have been priceless.
R.W. - Adolescent Therapy Patient March 1, 2016
I visited Dr. Lyons for several years through middle school into high school, and saw noticeable improvements in my physical health. I have not had chest pains or migraines in years!
M.O. - Adolescent Therapy Patient March 28, 2016
