- Client-centered work
- CBT techniques
- Mindfulness practices
About Debra
Debra Chandler is an LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) practicing in Michigan with forty years of clinical experience. She works with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, eating and body-image concerns, addiction, trauma and grief, and guilt and shame.
Her style is conversational and down-to-earth. She helps people notice their thought patterns, emotions, and bodily responses. Sessions involve listening, asking curious questions, and trying small changes to see what helps in daily life.
Debra draws on client-centered ideas alongside cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness. That means she pays attention to what matters to the person in front of her, helps identify unhelpful thinking or behaviors, and uses present-moment awareness to change habits around eating, mood, or stress.
She also uses motivational interviewing to explore a person’s own reasons for change and to build practical steps they feel able to try. In sessions she may offer straightforward experiments, gentle challenges to thinking patterns, and breathing or awareness practices for managing intense moments.
Debra has worked in mental health since 1979 and brings long experience with grief, caregiving stress, family of origin issues, and mood disorders. People looking to address lingering guilt, shame, self-esteem or life transitions can expect clear, practical conversations focused on what to try next.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Debra works from client-centered principles and cognitive behavioral therapy in ways that fit well for remote work. Client-centered work means she listens carefully, reflects what she hears, and follows the client’s priorities to shape each session. CBT involves noticing automatic thoughts and testing small behavioral experiments to change patterns like avoidance, rumination, or unhelpful eating habits.Mindfulness therapy is also a regular part of her practice and can be taught and practiced in online sessions. This involves simple attention practices and breath-based exercises that help with anxiety, stress, emotional reactivity, and eating awareness. These approaches are practical and can be adjusted to what a person can reasonably try between sessions.
Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work. She will collaborate with clients to decide whether CBT tasks, mindfulness exercises, or motivational interviewing prompts best fit their goals and preferences. That choice can shift as progress is made.
The specific session formats for her practice are not listed here, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also allow guided mindfulness practice during a session without requiring extra travel.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
40+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, eating and body-image issues, relationship and intimacy concerns, trauma, guilt and shame, and related areas.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses client-centered listening together with cognitive behavioral tools and mindfulness to notice unhelpful thoughts, test them, and practice different responses to intense feelings.
How much experience does she have?
Debra has worked in the mental health field since 1979, giving her about forty years of experience with a broad range of concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds an LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) credential and practices in Michigan.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.