About Deborah
Deborah (Debbie) Connery is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 33 years of experience providing therapeutic support to adults in Illinois.
Background and approach
She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and family concerns, mood disorders including bipolar disorder, anger, and challenges tied to life transitions and career changes. Her practice also addresses issues such as hoarding, panic attacks, obsessions and compulsions, personality disorders, and concerns related to aging, hospice, and intellectual disability.
Debbie emphasizes a collaborative, individualized approach that centers on empathy, respect, and openness. She draws on client-centered principles to build a trusting therapeutic relationship and uses evidence-informed methods like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, solution-focused strategies, and trauma-focused work to match interventions to each person’s needs.
The goal is to identify strengths, uncover sources of hope, and develop practical steps to move forward. Clients can expect a flexible, tailored process where assessment and partnership guide the treatment plan.
Debbie aims to make reaching out easier and to support people as they navigate disruption, loss, and difficult transitions with compassion and practical skill.
Approaches That Guide Online Support
Debbie frequently integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and client-centered therapy into her online work. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, panic, and obsessive behaviors. Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening, empathy, and collaboration so that the person’s priorities shape the pace and direction of care.She also uses motivational interviewing to help people explore ambivalence and build motivation for change when facing goals related to career shifts, health behaviors, or difficult transitions. These approaches are practical and can be adapted to remote formats, allowing the therapist and client to try techniques and assess what fits best.
Finding the right approach is part of the process, and Debbie works with clients to determine which methods align with their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative exploration helps tailor session content and homework so therapy remains focused and relevant.
Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for varied schedules and comfort levels. This range of formats makes it easier to continue consistent work during life changes, to check in between sessions, and to choose the communication style that feels most workable for each person.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Social anxiety and phobia
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 33 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English