Debra Schwarze, LCPC, LPC

Debra Schwarze is a licensed counselor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and major life changes. She brings 30 years of experience in a variety of mental health settings. People come to her for issues like sleep trouble, low self-esteem, relationship strain, trauma, and mood disorders. She works in a straightforward, person-focused way. Sessions are collaborative and practical. Debra listens first, then helps set small, doable goals. She uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered work, EMDR, and mindfulness depending on the situation. Debra has worked in community mental health, schools, faith-based settings, health systems, and private practice. That variety shaped a flexible style that adapts to each person. She also has a background in art therapy and sometimes uses art-making to help people name feelings or memories that are hard to say out loud. Her credentials include Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor - LCPC and Licensed Professional Counselor - LPC in Illinois and Wisconsin. Debra has experience supporting people with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, grief, cancer-related concerns, caregiver stress, and end-of-life issues. Starting therapy with her usually means talking about what matters most right now. She emphasizes realistic steps you can try between sessions. Over time she helps people build skills to manage symptoms and regain a sense of control.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions

Debra commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered approaches. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, panic, or depressive patterns. Client-centered work emphasizes listening, empathy, and helping people find their own solutions to relationship, career, or life-purpose concerns.

She also integrates EMDR when trauma memories or painful images are a central concern; EMDR helps process those memories so they feel less disruptive. Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, then adapt methods as progress is made.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper weekly work when seeing facial cues matters. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and messaging allow brief check-ins, written reflections, or coaching-style support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and keep continuity of care when schedules change.