Therapist profile
Debra Schwarze, LCPC, LPC
Licensed counselor - Family and parenting concerns
Continue with DebraAbout
- Client-centered therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Art-based techniques
About Debra
Debra Schwarze is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and holds a Wisconsin Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential. She has roughly 30 years of work in mental health across community mental health, school settings, faith-based programs, health systems, and private practice. Debra commonly sees people dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, sleep problems, and self-esteem issues.
Her approach is practical and person-focused. She draws mainly on client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral techniques, with mindfulness and EMDR as additional options. She uses art-making when clients are open to it, as a way to express experiences that are hard to put into words.
Sessions are conversational and direct. Debra listens, helps clarify what’s most pressing, and works with each person to set goals. She describes the work as collaborative - clients are asked to be open about what they want to change, and she offers tools to support those goals.
Her background includes work with people facing major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, ADHD, cancer, end-of-life issues, and other life-changing events. She has also supported those dealing with caregiver stress, divorce and separation, infidelity, isolation, and questions about life purpose.
Debra practices in Illinois and conducts sessions in English. Costs vary by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session through the online options button.
How sessions work
How her therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on the individual’s concerns and perspective. In practice this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, reflects what is said, and helps people identify goals and choices. It is useful for relationship strain, parenting stress, grief, and life changes.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It uses clear strategies such as tracking patterns, testing unhelpful thoughts, and practicing new responses. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and panic symptoms.
EMDR is an approach that works with distressing memories and their emotional impact. It involves guided processing of past events to reduce their hold on current life. This method may be offered when trauma or abuse is a focus and the client is open to it.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels manageable, and then suggest which methods to try. That decision is collaborative and can change as the work progresses.
The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm which session types are offered before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy home schedules, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. Therapists and licensed professionals adapt exercises like CBT worksheets, mindfulness practice, and art-based activities so they work in remote sessions.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
Illinois, Wisconsin
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma, relationship and family concerns, caregiving strain, and related issues listed in her profile.
How would you describe her way of working?
Her style is conversational and goal-oriented. She listens, helps prioritize issues, and offers practical tools from client-centered and cognitive behavioral approaches.
How much experience does she have?
She has about 30 years of experience in mental health settings including community programs, schools, faith-based work, health systems, and private practice.
What credentials and region does she work in?
She is an LCPC in Illinois and an LPC in Wisconsin, and practices in Illinois as noted in her profile.
Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats. Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats are available.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with her?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.