Debra Chandler, LMSW - Therapist in Michigan

About Debra

Debra Chandler is a licensed master social worker who uses a warm, person-focused approach to help people untangle problems. She leans on client-centered care and practical tools to help with stress, anxiety, depression, eating and relationships. She brings a calm, down-to-earth presence, a ready smile, and straight talk to sessions.

Her manner is curious, kind, and often lightly humorous to ease tense moments. Debra mixes clearly explained strategies with open listening.

Background and approach

She helps clients notice unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors using cognitive behavioral therapy, while also honoring personal values and life meaning. Mindfulness techniques show up in conversations about eating, sleep, and managing strong emotions. Motivational interviewing is used when clients want to shift habits or find renewed motivation.

Her work emphasizes practical change and steady support. Debra encourages small steps and realistic goals rather than big, sudden overhauls. She pays attention to how feelings show up in the body and how family patterns influence choices.

With about 40 years in mental health practice, Debra draws on long experience without sounding clinical. She frames sessions as collaborative problem-solving, not lectures. People come away with clearer options and ways to move forward.

Debra practices in Michigan and holds the LMSW credential, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker. She offers several online session formats so clients can choose what fits their life.

Therapeutic approaches for online support

Debra uses client-centered therapy to create a helping space where people feel heard and respected. This approach focuses on listening, reflecting, and following the client’s pace so they can name problems and choose changes that matter. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is used to spot unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes that reduce anxiety, improve mood, and change eating patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Debra treats therapy as a team effort and will talk with clients about what feels most useful. She will try methods, get feedback, and adjust the plan to fit goals, preferences, and day-to-day life.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care flexible. These formats let people fit therapy into busy schedules, check in between appointments, or choose the way they communicate best. The range of options helps people keep momentum while working toward clear, manageable goals.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What issues can be addressed in sessions?

Debra works with stress, anxiety, depression, eating concerns, relationship struggles, parenting stress, grief, trauma, addiction, and related areas listed in her profile.

What is her general therapy style?

She combines client-centered listening with structured techniques. Sessions are collaborative and focus on practical steps, thought patterns, and mindful awareness.

How long has she been practicing?

She has about 40 years of experience in mental health, drawing on a long history of clinical work and practical approaches.

What credentials and where is she based?

She holds an LMSW, a Licensed Master Social Worker, with licence number MI LMSW 6801015575, and practices in Michigan.

Which languages are offered for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs.

How is cost handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps start the process?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Eating disorders

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 40 years
Licensed: Michigan
Languages: English

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