Debra (Debbie) Shepard, LCSW
Practical, approachable support for parenting and life change
Book with Debra- Years in practice
- 14
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Illinois
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- Relationship issues
About Debra
Debra (Debbie) Shepard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 14 years of clinical experience in Illinois. She focuses on practical help for parents and individuals facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, addiction concerns, mood changes, and life transitions. Debbie writes and speaks plainly in sessions and aims to make therapy feel approachable and useful from the first meeting.
Her sessions are collaborative and warm. She listens first, then helps people set small, achievable goals.
Background and approach
Debbie uses methods that focus on current problems and personal strengths. Many clients find this makes progress feel realistic and steady. Debbie draws from client-centered work to keep the person's experience central.
She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and build better habits. Mindfulness practices are offered to help with stress, sleep, and emotional regulation. For relationship concerns she incorporates ideas from the Gottman Method to improve communication and reduce conflict.
Motivational interviewing supports people working through addictions and big life changes. She adapts these tools to each person's needs rather than following a single script. Debbie has clinical and supervisory experience in behavioral health settings.
She supports people coping with parenting stress, career pressures, trauma and grief, and problems like anger or low self-esteem. Her goal is to help clients find practical steps they can use between sessions to feel more in control.
What Debra works with
Everything Debra lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Debra helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Body image
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- 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
- Phobias
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-love
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Debra lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Gottman Method
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapeutic approaches work online
Debbie often combines client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral methods to help people change patterns that cause stress or worry. Client-centered work focuses on understanding your experience and priorities so sessions feel tuned to your concerns. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at thoughts and behaviors and teaches simple tools to shift them, which can help with anxiety, mood, sleep, and parenting challenges.She may also use mindfulness exercises to build calm and present-moment awareness. These practices help with overwhelming feelings and can be practiced between sessions. Choosing which approach to use is a collaborative process - the therapist will talk with the client about goals, try techniques, and adjust plans based on what helps most.
Online work is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs. Video lets you see nonverbal cues and practice communication skills. Phone sessions are helpful when lower bandwidth or hands-free time is needed. Chat and text are useful for brief check-ins, tracking progress, and sending short reflections between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy parenting schedules and other life demands.
Questions people ask about Debra
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, parenting challenges, relationship struggles, coping with life changes, trauma, sleep and eating issues, anger, self-esteem, ADHD and related concerns.
What is her therapeutic approach and style?
Her style is warm and interactive with a focus on solutions and strengths. She mixes client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral tools, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and Gottman-informed work for relationship communication.
How much experience does she have?
She has 14 years of clinical experience working in behavioral health and supervisory roles supporting other clinicians.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW - licensed in Illinois and practices from that state.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
She works with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How do I get started with therapy?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
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