Deanna MacDonald, LCPC

Deanna MacDonald is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Illinois who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar symptoms, addictions, and relationship concerns. She also supports people facing grief, trauma, body image and self-esteem struggles, and issues with sleep or eating. Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. She aims to make the first steps feel manageable for someone who is worried or overwhelmed.

Deanna draws on evidence-informed approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She combines these methods with motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques to create practical strategies for day-to-day life. Sessions emphasize skills you can use between appointments, such as coping tools, communication techniques, or thought‑tracking exercises.

She has seven years of direct experience providing individual therapy and a longer background working in the mental health field. Deanna treats concerns like panic, obsessive or compulsive behaviors, self-harm urges, and caregiver stress with clear steps and gentle encouragement. She works with people on career strain, workplace issues, and compassion fatigue as well.

Deanna offers a respectful, nonjudgmental space and partners with each client to set goals and measure progress. She helps people find small, doable changes that add up over time. Her approach balances practical problem-solving with attention to values, meaning, and emotional resilience.

Sessions are offered in English and take place online through a mix of video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Getting started involves a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a first session.

How these approaches work in online therapy

Deanna uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical exercises to reduce anxiety, panic, and low mood. Sessions often include worksheets, thought records, and behavioral experiments that can be practiced between appointments.

She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify their values and take small committed steps toward a meaningful life. ACT offers simple exercises for noticing difficult feelings without getting stuck and choosing actions that match what matters most.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are offered when emotion regulation, distress tolerance, or interpersonal effectiveness are priorities. DBT-style tools give concrete strategies for calming intense feelings and improving communication under stress.

Choosing the best approach is collaborative. The therapist will talk with the client about current concerns, goals, and preferences, and then recommend methods to try. Plans are adjusted over time based on what is helping and what feels manageable.

Online therapy is delivered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different routines. Video lets people use face-to-face interaction for skills practice, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, chat works for quick check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to schedule care and keep momentum during life changes.