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DC Portrait of Debbie Chirikos

Debbie Chirikos

Experienced LCSW blending skills and empathy

LCSW Illinois

Experience
40 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Family, Parenting
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages
English
Continue with Debbie

About Debbie

Debbie Chirikos is a licensed clinical social worker with four decades of experience guiding people through difficult life transitions and persistent patterns that hold them back.

Background and approach

She draws on a client-centered stance blended with cognitive behavioral ideas and mindfulness to help clients identify self-defeating habits, reduce anxiety and depression, and build skills for managing stress, grief, relationship challenges, trauma, and compassion fatigue.

Debbie earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in clinical social work in Colorado and has practiced in multiple U.S. states as well as in Hawaii and Canada.

Known for an engaged, curious, and nonjudgmental approach, she aims to be an attentive partner as clients explore attachment issues, blended family dynamics, adoption and foster care concerns, caregiver stress, communication problems, and related topics.

She welcomes motivated people who are willing to do the hard work of self-examination and change, and she uses humor, patience, and practical intervention to foster moments of confidence and calm. Debbie’s license is LCSW and she practices from Illinois, offering long-term clinical perspective alongside skills-oriented strategies to help clients move toward more authentic, functional lives.

Using practical approaches in online therapy

Debbie integrates cognitive behavioral ideas and attachment-focused work into online sessions to help clients change unhelpful thinking and strengthen important relationship patterns. Cognitive behavioral work involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and habits and practicing concrete skills to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and address problematic behaviors. Attachment-based approaches focus on how early and current relationship patterns shape emotional responses and help clients develop more supported, adaptive ways of relating.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She partners with each person to match methods to their goals, preferences, and life circumstances, adjusting strategies as progress is made and new needs emerge. The emphasis is on practical, client-guided work rather than one-size-fits-all protocols.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These formats make regular, consistent therapy more accessible for people balancing work, family, caregiving, or other commitments while allowing ongoing skills practice and reflection between sessions.

Frequently asked questions

What types of concerns does she address?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and family problems, parenting concerns, self-esteem, ADHD, sleep difficulties, career stress, and compassion fatigue.
What is her therapeutic style and approach?
Her work blends client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness, aiming for practical skill building alongside empathic exploration of patterns and attachment issues.
How much experience does she bring?
She has been a clinical social worker for 40 years and has practiced in several states, including time working in Hawaii and Canada.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds the LCSW credential with license number IL LCSW 149.011586 and is based in Illinois.
Does she offer services in languages other than English or to international clients?
Her practice is conducted in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
In what formats are sessions available?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and needs.
How are fees structured and what is the cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsParenting issuesSelf esteemDepression

Also works with

Relationship issuesTrauma and abuseGriefSleeping disordersCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommunication problemsDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesGuilt and shamePost-traumatic stressSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

40+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English