Debra Macleod, BA, JD, is an international marriage expert, marital mediator and coach, founder of Marriage SOS™, and a resource for major media worldwide. Her no-nonsense style, innovative method, “Fair, but Aware” approach, and two decades of experience have helped countless people resolve their marriage crisis, reconnect as spouses, and rebuild their marriage on the foundation of a romantic partnership. Debra specializes in cases where one spouse is currently more motivated to save or work on the marriage.

How she started doing what she does:  After law school, Debra opened a divorce mediation practice. Noticing that many of her clients had tried marriage counseling and other methods of marriage help to no avail, she saw an opportunity to offer people a professional and low-conflict alternative. She therefore shifted the focus of her practice to marital mediation designed to help couples stay together and opened her Marriage SOS™ mediation / coaching practice, pioneering a new method of relationship help, one that merged her formal education and in-the-trenches experience with her often unconventional, highly successful marriage-saving strategies. Eventually, Debra’s practice segued into one which primarily helped individual spouses manage an uncooperative partner or a partner with a different agenda (e.g. an ongoing affair), and who required unique guidance to bring a spirit of cooperation, commitment, and collaboration back into the marriage.

Her Marriage SOS™ method: Debra’s method combines her “hard” training in law, conflict resolution, communication, and marital mediation with her “softer” experience as a marriage / intimacy author and relationship coach. It is an intelligently grounded way to resolve marriage crises, one that appeals to both men and women. Her trademark “Fair, but Aware” approach encourages spouses to be fair in terms of advocating for and respecting each other’s needs, feelings, and perspectives, but also encourages them to be aware of how both people in the marriage are contributing to the conflict: this includes being able to identify and manage an unfaithful, indifferent, or otherwise uncooperative partner’s behavior and possible manipulations in a purposeful way. 

Debra’s method incorporates her unique and effective marriage-saving strategies, many of which emerged from her practice of essentially reverse engineering failed relationships to create successful ones. Importantly, her method also strives to deliver relationship guidance as quickly and clearly as possible, always cognizant of the urgency involved.  

Credentials:  Debra holds a Bachelor of Arts (with Distinction) and a Juris Doctor. She has certificates in conflict resolution and mediation.

Media: Debra has served as an expert resource for major media in North America and worldwide. Her past television appearances include FOX TV, CBC, GLOBAL TV, CTV, and regular relationship segments on SHAW TV and CITY TV. Her radio appearances include multiple guest spots on XM/SIRIUS Satellite Radio, regular relationship segments on Virgin Radio and Corus Radio, and guest spots on numerous local, national and syndicated radio programs in North America.

Debra has been seen in popular international women’s and men’s magazines, including ELLE, COSMOPOLITAN, REDBOOK, BRIDAL GUIDE, SHAPE, ESQUIRE, MEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE, WOMEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE, WOMAN’S ERA (India), TODAY’S PARENT, READER’S DIGEST and ENTREPRENEUR. She has also contributed to various health and industry magazines, from APPLE to THE OGM (Oil & Gas).  Her pieces in THE HUFF POST have appeared in multiple editions including the USA, Canada, Arabi, Korea and Brazil.

In addition, she has been interviewed by the Associated Press, Canadian Press, THE NEW YORK TIMES and Fox News, and her work has received coverage in such newspapers as USA TODAY, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, THE DAILY MAIL, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, THE TORONTO STAR, THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, THE NATIONAL POST, SUN and other local, national and international newspapers.

Debra has also been seen in such popular web destinations as TODAY.com, Yahoo.com, canada.com, CBS.com, msn.com, News.com.au (Australia), USA TODAY’s “Happily Ever After” book reviews blog, AskMen.com, SheKnows.com and others. Her articles have been syndicated to multiple websites and web portals.

And personally: Debra has been married to her husband Don since 2001 and often collaborates with him to provide relationship help. They have one son.