E-mail : debra@lifetransitionschicago.com
Effective 2/19/23, Life Transitions Counseling is a full-time telehealth practice.
E-mail : debra@lifetransitionschicago.com
Effective 2/19/23, Life Transitions Counseling is a full-time telehealth practice.
E-mail : debra@lifetransitionschicago.com
Relationships are the food for our soul. At their best, they nurture us, bring us joy, and provide a foundation for growth. But sometimes relationships become confusing, unfulfilling, or even deeply painful. Many of the clients I work with find themselves caught in patterns they don’t fully understand, especially in relationships shaped by emotional abuse, where cycles of warmth and hurt create a powerful and often invisible pull that is difficult to break.
This work has become a central focus of my practice. I specialize in helping individuals recognize and recover from emotionally abusive and addictive relationship dynamics, where confusion, self-doubt, and shame often replace a clear sense of self. Through this work, I developed The ISLAND Method: A Framework for Relational Recovery, which helps clients understand what is happening in their relationships, step out of these patterns, and begin reconnecting with themselves in a grounded, authentic way.
I also work extensively with couples navigating conflict, attachment patterns, and the impact of infidelity. Together, we focus on understanding the underlying dynamics that drive disconnection, improving communication, and creating a more stable and meaningful connection, whether the goal is repair, clarity, or moving forward.
Life Transitions Counseling provides a comfortable, trusting environment to explore your individual experience, your relationship as a couple, or the loss of a relationship, as you learn how to move forward and adjust to a new sense of stability during and after times of transition.
People seek individual therapy for many different reasons…
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The vast majority of long term committed relationships…
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Change is usually hard and can be scary and overwhelming…
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Keep up with the latest news by reading our most recent articles.
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Finding a new relationship after a divorce or a break-up is often a wonderful addition to our lives. But, in starting any new relationship, there are
Debra Alper was recently interviewed by the Chicago Tribune on her experience with clients who are in a relationship with a "gaslighter". You can rea
I have known Debra professionally for many years and have participated in a consultation group with her, which has allowed me to know well her skills in working with clients. Debra is an engaged, warm, compassionate and skilled therapist who is able to offer insight, guidance, support, tools and strategies to help her clients navigate whatever issues and circumstances have brought them to therapy. I have referred both individual clients and couples to Debra, including personal friends and have always received glowing feedback about her.
Debra Alper is a compassionate, insightful therapist who has extensive knowledge in both working with couples and individuals struggling with the stressful and emotionally difficult divorce process. She understands the emotional issues involved in the decision to divorce, the often, destabilizing emotional challenges involved in the process itself, as well as the work involved in creating a post-divorce life. I would recommend her to any one going thru a divorce needing support, clarity and closure.
I am a journalist who has interviewed Debra several times on the subjects of love, relationships and divorce for articles I’ve written. Debra is one of the most knowledgeable therapists I know, and communicates in a very relatable, warm and caring way. I would highly recommend her, based on the smart, thoughtful, advice she has offered to my audience.
I have been a practicing therapist for 32 years and have known Debra for almost 15 years. We have shared consultation and referrals. I find Debra to be an approachable, warm, insightful, interactive therapist who has much success in helping her clients who are stuck in relational problems. She also has tremendous insight into the process involved in divorce and works very effectively with clients needing help and support before, during and after their divorce.
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