Debbie Chirikos , LCSW

Debbie Chirikos is a licensed clinical social worker with 40 years of experience. She draws on client-centered and attachment-based ways of working to help people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. Debbie focuses on practical change and emotional growth for individuals who want to understand themselves better and act differently in daily life.

She holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor degree in clinical social work from universities in Colorado. Debbie has worked across different states and settings, which gives her a broad view of common life challenges and coping strategies. Her Illinois license is LCSW.

In sessions she aims to pay close attention and stay fully present with each person. Debbie values honest, non-judgmental feedback and uses calm, steady support to guide change. She often uses CBT ideas to spot unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns, and attachment-informed thinking to address relational pain.

Debbie makes space for practical tools such as mindfulness exercises, motivational conversation to boost goals, and narrative work to reframe painful stories. She also helps people navigate parenting concerns, adoption and foster care issues, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, and workplace compassion fatigue.

People who are ready to engage in honest self-reflection and try different habits tend to get the most from her approach. She likes to bring warmth and sometimes gentle humor into the work while helping clients build steady changes that last.

How Debbie’s approaches translate to online therapy

Attachment-based work focuses on how early relationships shape current feelings and ways of relating. Online sessions can use this approach to trace patterns that affect current partnerships, parenting, or self-worth, and then practice new ways of connecting and responding.

Client-centered therapy centers on listening and acceptance. In remote sessions the therapist offers attentive presence and reflection, which helps people feel heard and name what matters most to them before choosing practical steps.

Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked in the past. Together they decide whether to prioritize skill practice, deeper relational work, or a mix of both.

Online formats offer practical benefits. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and guided exercises. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth or camera use is limited. Live chat or text-based messaging can support short check-ins, ongoing encouragement, or brief problem-solving between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and keep steady momentum toward change.