About Debra
Debra Chandler is an experienced social worker who uses a client-centered approach to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns. She brings 40 years of practice to sessions and aims to create a warm, nonjudgmental space where people can talk through what feels hard right now. Her work combines client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness.
That means she starts by listening closely to each person's experience and then uses practical strategies to shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
How Debra works
Mindfulness is woven in to help people notice patterns in eating, mood, and stress responses. Debra often supports people facing grief, trauma and abuse, addiction, and issues with self-esteem and body image. She also addresses intimacy-related concerns, sleeping problems, parenting strain, career stress, and mood disorders including bipolar and panic attacks.
Her practice includes attention to family of origin issues, caregiver stress, and forgiveness work. Sessions include collaborative conversations and targeted exercises. She may use motivational interviewing to help people find reasons to change and CBT tools to break cycles of worry or avoidance.
The overall style is down-to-earth, gently curious, and practical, with room for humor when it fits. Debra practices in Michigan and works in English. She holds an LMSW, which means Licensed Master of Social Work, and has decades of experience helping people make manageable changes in daily life.
Debra lists 4 ways of working on the entry:
What Debra works with
The areas below are the ones Debra selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Eating disorders
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LMSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 40 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Michigan |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How her approaches fit into online therapy
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building a respectful relationship where people feel heard and understood. In practice this means sessions start with the person's concerns and move at their pace, which helps with issues like depression, grief, and low self-esteem.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and teaches concrete steps to change them. It can be useful for anxiety, panic attacks, mood disorders, and managing stress with clear exercises and homework.
Mindfulness teaches simple ways to notice body sensations, emotions, and eating habits without judgment. It supports people working on body image, emotional regulation, and coping with urges or cravings.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about their goals, try out techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. That teamwork makes it easier to find methods that fit each person's life and preferences.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls let therapists and clients work face to face when helpful, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and text or chat formats are useful for brief check-ins or when someone prefers not to be on camera. These options help fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy schedules while keeping sessions focused and practical.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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