Debra Schwarze

Debra Schwarze is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Illinois and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Wisconsin with 30 years of experience in mental health. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, life changes, compassion fatigue, career uncertainty, ADHD concerns, and questions about life purpose. She also works with issues related to cancer, caregiving, hospice and end-of-life concerns, and relationship strain.

Her style is straightforward and practical. Sessions focus on talking through what is happening now, noticing patterns, and trying small changes that can make day-to-day life easier. She uses client-centered conversation to follow what matters to the person, and cognitive behavioral techniques to test unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.

Debra also brings experiential options into sessions when helpful. That can include simple mindfulness practices and, with consent, expressive art activities to give shape to feelings that are hard to put into words. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is part of her toolkit for processing traumatic memories when it fits the situation.

Her background spans community mental health, schools, faith-based settings, health systems, and private practice. Debra has master’s degrees in counseling and in art therapy, and she adapts methods to the person sitting in front of her rather than following a single protocol.

People who are unsure what comes next often find her approach steady and pragmatic. She asks clear questions, suggests manageable steps, and works collaboratively to clarify goals. To begin, visitors are asked to use the site’s matching process and schedule an initial session.

Therapeutic methods and how they translate online

Debra commonly uses client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in her work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and following what the person brings to the session, which helps clarify what matters most. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at how thoughts and behaviors keep problems going and tries practical changes to reduce symptoms and improve daily coping.

She also uses EMDR when processing traumatic memories is needed. EMDR involves guided attention to help the brain reprocess distressing memories and reduce their emotional intensity; it can be useful for trauma, abuse, and related symptoms when the client and therapist agree it is appropriate.

Figuring out which approach to use is a collaborative step. The therapist will talk about options, try brief exercises, and adjust methods based on the client’s goals and comfort. That collaboration helps pick between conversational strategies, CBT tasks, mindfulness practices, expressive art, or EMDR techniques.

The original biography did not specify online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Therapists can guide simple mindfulness practices, walk through CBT exercises, and use verbal or visual tools that work well over a video or phone session, depending on the format offered.