Meet Debra Hirschberg, LCSW Owner/Founder
Virtual Counseling — Serving Illinois
Hello, I'm Debra Hirschberg, I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Christian Counselor, and Founder of Hope Reins.
I've been walking alongside women and families since 1999 — through grief, trauma, caregiver burnout, marriage struggles, and the kind of life transitions that rob you of your sense of self. I've sat with women who have tried everything and still felt stuck. And I've had the honor of watching them find their footing again.
After graduating with honors with my Master's in Social Work from the University of Illinois, I worked in schools, inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings before starting my private practice. What I kept seeing was that talk therapy alone wasn't enough for many of the people I most wanted to help. So I went looking for something better.
That search led me to Brainspotting, Art Therapy, Equine Therapy, and a range of approaches that go deeper than just talking. I've learned that real healing rarely happens just by talking. Sometimes you need to do something, feel something, and actually sense the shift happening in your body.
I believe real healing is wholistic — it involves the mind, the body, and the soul. That's why I've never been satisfied with approaches that only address one part of who you are. True transformation happens when all three are part of the healing journey — and that conviction shapes everything about how I work.
I'm not a one-size-fits-all counselor, I won’t push something you are not comfortable with. Instead, together we'll find the approach that connects for you.
My faith is woven through everything I do. I believe as humans we are Imago Dei - “Made in the image of God” worthy of love and protection. I believe that God has a purpose for each one of us and has designed a path of healing when we struggle. I consider it a privilege to help my clients find hope and true healing. I welcome clients of all backgrounds, and I don’t ever push my faith on those who do not believe. Creating a safe and welcoming for transformation is a significant part of what I do.
“I believe real healing is wholistic — it involves the mind, the body, and the soul. That's why I've never been satisfied with approaches that only address just one part of who you are. True transformation happens when all three are part of the healing journey — and that conviction shapes everything about how I work.” Debra Hirschberg, LCSW
Specialized Trauma Training
To make that wholistic healing possible I've invested in specialized training that goes beyond traditional talk therapy. Healing from trauma requires more than talking about it. I'm trained in several approaches specifically designed to reach where trauma lives — in the nervous system, the body, and the deeper patterns that shape how we see ourselves and the world:
Brainspotting — accesses where trauma is stored in the brain and body, creating shifts that talk therapy often can't reach
Internal Family Systems (IFS) — helps you understand and heal the different parts of yourself that developed to protect you from pain
Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) — specialized approach for adoptive and foster families healing from developmental trauma
Art Therapy — uses creative expression to access emotions that are hard to put into words
Equine-Assisted Intensives — working alongside horses creates breakthroughs that can take months to achieve in weekly sessions
DBT & CBT — practical skills for managing overwhelming emotions and changing unhelpful thought patterns
Hope Reins didn't start with a business plan.
It started with a troubled teen, a horse, a cowboy and a Ranch in Utah.
Early in my private practice, I visited a Residential Ranch program as I searched for an alternative to juvenile detention for a client of mine. I felt incredibily discouraged that I could not help this teen , talk therapy was just not working. As part of the tour of the facility I go to participate in an equine therapy demonstration and was blown away. In just 20 minutes, I experienced how horses could get to the heart of issues — quickly, powerfully, and without words. I knew right away I needed to bring horse therapy into my practice. Even though nobody in my world had heard of horses in counseling!
What followed was years of waiting and setbacks.
I had no horses, no facility and no training that matched what I'd seen. But four years later I walked into an local barn that was hosting an equine therapy training and the trainer was that very same cowboy I met in Utah. I knew at that moment that God was confirming this crazy dream I had in my heart.
Hope Reins was born from faith and persistence.
I understand in a deeply personal way what it feels like to pursue something that seems impossible — to face discouragement, loss, betrayal and seemingly insurmountable obstacles that make you wonder if you're on the right path. Starting a program seemed impossible as I didn’t have a horse or a facility. I wandered from place to place for 4 years, until I found a equine facility and incredible equine professional to work with. In 2023, With this partnership in place , Hope Reins celebrated 25 years of providing equine-assisted therapy in the Chicago area. We offered weekly equine therapy, workshops, team building, retreats and summer camps. Along with a partnership with Holt International we created the first of its kind TBRI summer camp with an EAGALA equine assisted therapy to support adoptive families.
But in 2025, Hope Reins faced change and its biggest transition yet.
The Ranch location permanently closed their doors.
I lost the physical home and partnerships —both people and horse partnerships — that had defined my practice for 18 years. It would have been easy to see it as the end. And honestly, there were moments it felt that way.
But loss has a way of opening doors you never thought to knock on.
Out of that transition came something new. I finally was able to get trained in Brainspotting — a powerful brain-body approach that creates breakthroughs without requiring a horse. I had already launched two equine retreats and experienced how powerful these immersive experiences could be. I decided that I would offer equine intensives and retreats, concentrated experiences that can create in one day or weekend what weekly sessions sometimes can't reach in months. And I expanded into fully virtual counseling, making it possible to serve women across all of Illinois.
What felt like an ending became a transformation.
I share this not to make the story about me — but because if you're sitting in your own season of loss or forced transition right now, I want you to know I understand it from the inside. Not just clinically. Personally.
But I've also learned that with steady hope and a little stubbornness, there is always a way forward. What started as an unusual dream became something real — and I believe the same is possible for you.
God doesn't always promise to remove the suffering. But He does promise to walk through it with us. So don't give up.
Education and Credentials
Education and Credentials
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) — since 1992
Master's in Social Work — University of Illinois at Chicago, Graduated with Honors, Specialty in Child and Family Therapy
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Speaker, UIC Graduation Ceremony 1990
Private practice since 1999
Co-Author: Mending Broken Hearts and Broken Connections: Hope for Healing Developmental Trauma
Equine Therapy
EAGALA Certified since 2005 — Equine Assisted Psychotherapy & Learning
Trained in Natural Lifemanship — Equine Assisted Mental Health
Trained in ARCH (Arenas for Change) — Equine Assisted Therapy
20+ years providing equine-assisted therapy in the Chicagoland area
Ready to Take the First Step?
If you've been looking for a counselor who will meet you exactly where you are — with clinical skill, genuine faith, and a toolkit that goes beyond just talking — I'd love to connect.
The first step is simple and free. Schedule a 20-minute consultation and let's have an honest conversation about where you are and whether Hope Reins is the right fit for you. Click Below to set up appointment.
If I'm not the right fit, I'll do my best to point you toward someone who is.