About Debra
Debra (Debbie) Shepard offers calm, practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, relationship trouble, substance use, or big life changes. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and she focuses on helping people find clearer ways to cope and move forward. Sessions are straightforward and aimed at real-life problem solving.
She has 14 years of experience in behavioral health and supervisory roles. That background means she has worked with a wide range of concerns such as depression, bipolar challenges, ADHD, sleep and eating problems, and compassion fatigue.
Background and approach
She also supports people dealing with career strain, parenting pressures, and first responder issues. Her style is warm and interactive. She centers each session on the person in front of her and uses what fits best for their situation.
Practical tools and focused conversations are used to address what is not working now. Debbie draws on several approaches when they suit the client. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people change unhelpful thinking and habits.
Client-Centered Therapy provides a respectful space where the person’s goals guide the work. Mindfulness techniques offer ways to manage stress and stay present. Sessions aim to build skills and increase confidence in daily life.
People leave with concrete steps to try between meetings and a plan to track progress. Debbie practices in Illinois and holds an Illinois LCSW license.
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Debbie commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy in her online work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing actions that keep problems going; it is useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and managing impulsive behaviors. Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes the person’s goals and perspective, creating a respectful space where solutions are guided by what matters most to the client.She also incorporates Mindfulness techniques when helpful, teaching simple exercises to reduce stress and increase present-moment awareness. Choosing the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process - Debbie will work with each person to decide which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences rather than prescribing a single path up front.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow fuller conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text-based messaging work for brief check-ins, journaling between sessions, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work breaks, caregiving schedules, or days with limited travel time, while keeping the focus on useful tools and steady progress.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 14 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English