Deborah (Debbie) Connery, LCSW

Deborah (Debbie) Connery is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 33 years of experience helping adults in Illinois navigate difficult life moments. She brings a warm, respectful presence to therapy and focuses on creating a comfortable space for people who are ready to seek support. As an LCSW, she has advanced clinical training in social work and in providing psychotherapy for a wide range of concerns.

Connery works with individuals facing depression, anxiety, stress, grief and loss, trauma and abuse, and major life transitions. She also addresses relationship and family challenges, issues around self-esteem and control, mood and personality disorders, hoarding, end-of-life planning, and other complex problems that can disrupt daily living. Her approach emphasizes empathy, compassion, openness, and respect as foundations for helping clients move forward.

Rather than relying on a single method, she tailors treatment to each person’s needs, drawing on cognitive behavioral techniques, solution-focused ideas, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed practices, and client-centered principles. She partners with clients to identify strengths, uncover sources of hope, and build practical steps toward greater well-being. Connery aims to join each client on their unique path and to work collaboratively toward meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Remote Care

Deborah Connery integrates client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and motivational interviewing into her work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening with empathy and treating each person with respect and acceptance, helping clients explore their feelings and identify what matters most to them. CBT is a practical, skills-based approach that helps people recognize and change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors, often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related issues. Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented method that helps people resolve ambivalence and find their own motivation for change, which can be especially useful for transitions and behavior change.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Deborah works collaboratively with each client to determine which strategies fit their needs, goals, and personal preferences, and she adapts methods as progress unfolds. This means therapy is shaped around the individual rather than a predetermined formula.

Online therapy with Deborah is designed to be flexible and accessible. Clients can connect by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules or to continue care during life changes. These options allow for consistent, ongoing support while maintaining the focus on practical, effective work between client and therapist.