Therapists in Cicero, IL

Everyone goes through times of struggle and needs someone to listen, reflect and help them move forward. We specialize in working with persons who have experienced trauma, abuse or neglect. Trauma can lead to many life issues & symptoms that we can help you manage & alleviate. Using trauma-informed attachment focused psychotherapy we provide parents with therapeutic skills to help their children heal. I have worked with families, kids, & adults for 25 of years who have various mental illnesses and emotional challenges. Everyone deserves happiness & we can help you through the healing process to restore your mind, body & spirit.

As a therapist, I help clients who are healing from trauma, learning how to manage feelings of anxiety and depression, processing grief, and trying to establish healthier boundaries in work and life. My goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment wherein each client can be their full selves. I strive to see each person holistically with an understanding of how our intersecting identities inform our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I believe therapy can help an individual gain a clearer understanding of themselves while providing tools to help manage life more successfully.

Are you looking for a competent, accepting and genuine therapist for yourself or your child? Do you or your family need support in your relationships? Is your kid struggling at school or at home? My name is Mihaela Bernard but most clients call me Misha. I specialize in counseling children and adolescents who struggle with behavioral and emotional issues. In my practice, we work together to help you and/or your family modify the way in which you relate to each other, and to improve the quality of your relationships.

As a culturally affirming trauma therapist, my highest intention is to restore dignity to those who have been marginalized or exiled from our human community because of their traumatic experiences. I see therapy as a journey we embark on together, where I am invited not only to tread the well-worn paths of our shared humanity, but also to walk reverently into the sacred spaces of my clients' life stories. I approach this work with humility, deep respect, and a fierce commitment to my clients' well-being. I am known to hang in there when things get tough, and I enjoy a healthy dose of playfulness and humor in every relationship.

My professional background includes working with a wide variety of clients from children to older adults. I have provided mental health and substance abuse outpatient counseling including individual, group and family therapy. I have worked with a broad range of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, adjustment difficulties, grief and loss, relationship problems, family conflict, mood disorders, personality disorders, psychosis, thinking disorders, codependency, domestic violence, self-esteem, women’s issues, spirituality, chronic illness, chronic pain, dual diagnosis, and addictions.

Sometmes life becomes challenging. At times helpful support can be helpful. I, am currently employed as a clinical therapist in the State of Illinois. In addition, I am beginning to work with the aging population. I, have, also, worked in the medical milieu as a psychiatric technician, as well as a hospital volunteer worker. My years of experience working as an advocate/counselor/social worker, in addition to my work in remote sessions with the general population supports my clinical skills.

My goal is to help you meet your own goals. Working together we can create a better understanding of how to help you with any struggle you are currently trying to manage. Therapy is a great place to truly open up and allow yourself to reflect on what you want, and how you would like to improve upon the person you are at the moment. We will take our time to achieve any goal large or small. Therapy allows you to trust yourself on this journey and I will help as a judgement-free support system. I will give you tools to help yourself, and we will use various therapeutic techniques to overcome any obstacle.

I'm an experienced, sensitive, insightful psychotherapist & psychoanalyst. On the faculty of The Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. I'm Cultural sensitive, speak English & Hebrew fluently, have a degree in Judaica. I work with Adolescents, Adults, Older Adults. I work with Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals. Individuals, Couples, Families. People in Business, Academia, writers, people in the Arts. Exploring who you are, Enhancing your Creativity, what complicates your Emergence, Expression, Fulfillment. Satisfaction, Individually, & in relationships.Trauma, Cross-Generational Trauma, Gender issues, Conflicts, Creativity Blocks, Performance & Achievement Anxiety, Separation, Loss, Midlife crises. Mood difficulties -- Depression, Anxiety., Attachment Difficulties. Enhancing relationships. SUPERVISION.

Seeking help can be scary and overwhelming, but you are not alone! I am here to offer a safe, nonjudgmental, and comfortable place that you can feel heard and validated. I believe that building strong foundations and relationships with people are imperative to the growth and healing of an individual’s mind and soul. I bring energy, compassion, and even a little humor to my work with clients, to create a collaborative environment that you can be comfortable and yourself in.

Sarah is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist at Millennium Counseling Center and received her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. As a former collegiate athlete, Sarah understands how the mind and body connection is crucial in its ability to cope with life's stressors. Sarah’s theoretical orientation is grounded in a psychodynamic approach that promotes healing through past wounds so you can become the person you are meant to be. She believes it’s imperative to create a safe and therapeutically sound space through her compassionate demeanor. She promotes healing while nurturing growth in each client.

I work with individuals, couples, and families struggling with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, addiction issues (substance abuse), troubled teens, school failure, LGBTQ+, and trauma and identity issues. As a lifelong allied and friend to the LGBTQ+ community, I work very hard to remain current to concerns that are specific to marginalized communities. I tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique needs. I will work with you to think outside of the box and build strength through our therapeutic relationship.

Do you feel sad, anxious, and irritable and don't know why? Do you lack energy and motivation to accomplish even minor tasks at home, work, or school? Are you struggling to put your life back in order? Please consider talking with a psychologist or counselor to help get you through these difficult moments. Our clinicians use researched based strategies to help clients identify challenges, barriers, and obstacles in their lives which prevent them from achieving personal and professional goals, achieving greater self-worth, or control of their life.

My therapeutic approach emphasizes how our perspectives on life and relationships are informed by past experiences, where we are in the present, and our future hopes. I strive to create an open environment allowing access to the meaning of these experiences and explore the impact this has on our lives.

I am a passionate and empathetic therapist with strong counseling abilities and an understanding of interpersonal familial relationships. I have experience leading clients through their struggles with interpersonal issues, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Through clinical experience, compassion, and empathy I support and assist those willing to make a positive difference in their lives.

In my work, the first goal is to create a safe and supportive environment that allows for greater understanding of the concerns, symptoms, and struggles that bring you to treatment. Change is possible with the willingness to explore one's inner life and contend with the conflicts inhibiting you from a greater sense of freedom. Psychotherapy/psychoanalysis is a demanding endeavor but the benefits are immeasurable!

Difficult times in life are opportunities for growth and change. I specialize in exploring identity, relationships, and transitions, mindful of the interplay between our formative experiences and current ways of being in the world. Through the therapeutic process, we understand and address anxious and depressed feelings; recover from losses and addictions, and manage work and family related stresses. I facilitate my clients' innate movement toward healing and authenticity.

In the often-painful experience of symptoms, something speaks through the body that is hard to put into words. Dreams, slips of the tongue, and everyday accidents can point to the experience of something working in us that we do not know. In listening to you, I pay close attention to the unconscious which appears in these and other coded signs in our bodies, our speech, and our dreams, but only you can tell me about what these signs mean to you and how they relate to your history and experience.

I use a collaborative model, where sessions feel like two people having a conversation in my living room, versus a stereotypical doctor/patient interaction. I don't view your issues as coming from an abnormal psychopathology, but instead as a reaction to living in a stressful, complex, and contradictory world. I seek to understand your issues in the context of your unique experience rather than viewing you as having something wrong or being broken. My focus is on what you need from me....I take my lead from you.