Debra Schwarze helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and life changes.
01About Debra
Debra Schwarze helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and life changes. She works with concerns like trauma, sleep problems, low self-esteem, relationship strain, attention differences, mood disorders, and caregiver challenges. Debra brings a calm, patient presence to her sessions and encourages straightforward conversation about what’s hard right now.
She has three decades of experience in mental health settings across community programs, schools, faith-based organizations, health systems, and independent practice.
Background and approach
Debra holds a master’s degree in counseling and a master’s in art therapy, and she lists her professional credentials as LCPC and LPC. That range of work has given her practice a practical, down-to-earth focus. In sessions she centers the person’s experience and uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy to spot unhelpful thinking patterns.
She also uses client-centered ideas to follow what matters most to the person seeking help. When people are open to it, Debra offers art-based activities to help express feelings that are hard to name. She often supports people coping with serious health concerns such as cancer, end-of-life and hospice needs, and caregiver stress.
Her work also addresses divorce, infidelity, loneliness, and questions about life purpose. Debra describes the therapeutic relationship as collaborative - she and the client set goals and try practical steps between meetings. People who meet with her can expect direct, compassionate discussion and clear suggestions for change.
She acknowledges that starting therapy is difficult and aims to make the first steps easier. Debra says she will listen, reflect, and work alongside each person toward gradual improvement.
02Credentials
- LCPC (Illinois)
- License 180-005252 · expires March 2027
- LPC (Wisconsin)
- License 7605-125 · expires February 2027
- NPI
- 1720065063 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the counselor lists and checks neither.
03Focus areas and approaches
Everything Debra lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- ADHD
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Forgiveness
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Women's issues
Methods Debra names
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness Therapy
These are the methods Debra names on their own professional profile. Naming an approach is not evidence of training or certification in it, and this directory checks no training records. Ask directly if it matters to you.
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04Online support
How these approaches translate to online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following what matters most to the person. Online sessions let the therapist reflect back concerns and help clients set personal goals in a conversational, supportive way.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and behaviors affect mood and offers practical exercises to change them. In video or phone sessions, CBT work can include identifying thinking patterns, assigning short at-home practices, and reviewing progress together.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss the options, try techniques, and adjust plans based on the client’s needs, goals, and preferences. That collaboration helps pick methods that fit a person’s life and pace.
Online formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule. Video allows face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be simpler on busy days. Live chat and texting let people check in, do brief work, or keep momentum between longer sessions. These options give flexibility so therapy can be practical and consistent with everyday life.
05Questions people ask
What kinds of problems does Debra address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma, sleep problems, low self-esteem, career and life transitions, ADHD, and mood disorders including bipolar concerns.
How would she describe her therapy style?
She takes a person-centered, practical style that combines listening with hands-on techniques. Sessions focus on clear goals and steps that can be used between meetings.
What is her background and experience?
Debra has 30 years of experience in community mental health, schools, faith-based settings, health systems, and independent practice.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds LCPC and LPC credentials and practices from Illinois.
Which languages are offered and are international clients possible?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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