Deborah Shugars is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Deborah works with individuals, couples, families, children, adolescents, and groups. She earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Virginia Commonwealth University with a specialty in Child Welfare, and is a member of the Golden Key Honor Society. Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSW) from George Mason University. Her education included training in the most evidence-based practices in social work. Her undergraduate education includes broad training and experience in child welfare and working with families. Her graduate training education includes training with children, adolescents, and their families. She has extensive counseling experience with youth-at-risk and their families, dual diagnosis, and substance abuse/addiction issues. She is sensitive to cultural issues and has travelled and experienced many cultures, including a Spanish language immersion study program in Guatemala. She works from a solution-oriented perspective using a strengths based focus and educates clients and helps them focus on their goals for treatment. She believes in empowering the individual, couple, or family to lead rich and fulfilling lives. Typically, counseling treatment is conducted on a short-term basis; however, some situations warrant long-term therapy.

Deborah is a native of Maine and her extensive volunteer work led her changing her career. Her prior career was as an office manager for a prestigious landscape architectural firm in Portland, Maine. In addition to raising two teenagers while working full time she volunteered at The Center for Grieving Children in Portland, Maine and counseled children 7-9 years old who had lost a loved one. Deborah also volunteered at Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, which is a respite camp for children with life threatening diseases. She was a camp counselor for 9-12 year olds counseling ill children and their siblings. Deborah came to admire the skills of the Licensed Clinical Social Workers she met during these volunteer experiences and decided that she would like to change her career and become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Deborah also then had a life transition and became a single mother, started attending the University of Southern Maine. Several years later another wonderful life transition happened and Deborah remarried and relocated to Virginia-still persistent in pursuing her goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Deborah’s children are now adults.