Debra (Debbie) Shepard
Practical, supportive therapy for everyday struggles
LCSW Illinois
- Experience
- 14 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Debra
Debra (Debbie) Shepard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Illinois who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, and major life changes. She uses a warm, interactive style and focuses on practical steps people can use right away.
Background and approach
Debbie writes in a direct way and aims to make sessions feel straightforward and approachable. She draws on client-centered methods to follow each person's lead.
Cognitive behavioral techniques are used to spot unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. She also brings mindfulness practices into sessions to help with emotional regulation and staying present.
Debbie has 14 years of clinical experience including supervisory roles. That background includes work with substance use concerns, parenting challenges, career strain, and trauma.
Her practice covers a wide range of issues such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, sleeping and eating problems, and compassion fatigue. In sessions she focuses on strengths and on solutions that fit the client’s life.
Conversations are collaborative and tailored to what a person needs most that week. She explains tools in everyday language and helps people try them between sessions.
Clients can expect a respectful, practical approach that balances immediate coping skills with longer-term change. Debbie aims to support people as they take steps toward clearer thinking, better routines, and improved relationships.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Debbie often combines the Gottman Method ideas with client-centered work to focus on practical communication and connection. The Gottman Method helps identify interaction patterns and build better ways of talking and listening, which can be practiced during sessions and between meetings. Client-centered therapy puts the person's goals and perspective first, so sessions are guided by what the individual says matters most.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and managing stress because it breaks problems into clear steps that can be worked on in session and as homework. These approaches are flexible and can be adjusted as needs and goals become clearer; deciding which methods to use is a collaborative process between therapist and client.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video allows real-time conversation and visual cues, phone sessions are a lower-bandwidth alternative, live chat can work for shorter check-ins, and messaging helps people share updates or get brief support between appointments. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to continue work even when life gets hectic.
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Licensed in
Illinois
Languages
English