CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS. My goals: to help you get un-stuck, face your difficulties, and restore your connection to yourself and others. I am focused on walking alongside you as we get to the root of issues, while providing you with new tools along the way. I work with individuals around trauma/PTSD (past abuse, dangerous childhoods, sexual assault, witnessing violence), grief/loss, divorce, spiritual instability and identity issues. I also help couples with pre-engagement/pre-marital counseling, healing from emotional and/or sexual affairs, conflict/communication issues, and relationship enrichment. LGBTQ affirmative.

Bailey Kraft graduated from Purdue University with a Masters in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy and is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in Illinois. She is a LGBTQ-affirmative therapist and has worked with a variety of clients including children, adolescents, families, and couples. She utilizes a solution-focused approach with an emphasis on how our lives are affected by the many different intersectional aspects of both ourselves and our relationships. Bailey seeks to connect with each client based on their individual needs and works collaboratively with her clients

Do you feel like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh? Your outlook on life is gloomy at best. When your mood and energy are low, it’s hard to get excited to show up for your life. Maybe you’re attracted to risk, and as such, using drugs/alcohol to the point where it's derailing your life? Does food control you or do you use food to control your life? There’s also the worrier. Does your stomach ache, your palms sweat, or maybe the spinning in your head is nonstop about whether or not to take a certain action. You get stuck in paralysis due to all of your analysis. In all this madness, there’s no time to thrive; merely survive.

While there are many quick-fix therapies in the world of mental health treatment today, I believe that depth-based work is essential to creating change that truly sticks. As such, it is important for us to develop a strong, trusting and meaningful working relationship early in our work together and for us to use that relationship as the foundation for our successful work together. One of the gifts that therapy offers is an opportunity to be truly heard and supported. That foundation can be an exceptionally powerful addition to one's life when it is effectively developed between a client and their therapist.

* only offering Telehealth sessions at this time* 
. We can all get a bit lost and need help finding our way again. You might be feeling that you are not living in congruence to your true essence and you are wanting to feel differently. Therapy can help you take control of your life and alleviate emotional pain.

My primary goal is to make you feel heard, seen, and understood. I help my clients tap into the resources and resiliency they already have to figure out how they can support themselves and ask for support from others. I work in a collaborative way with you to determine how you want to dig in with therapy and what works for you. You will learn to harness your existing strengths towards achieving your goals and lasting change. I help my clients give themselves permission to explore their identities and anxieties in a safe, affirming environment. I'm here to support you as you get curious about your past, present, and future.

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou. Have you ever found yourself stuck within stressful relationships, uncomfortable environments or confusing emotions? That "stuck" feeling often leads to discomfort in our daily lives and uncertainty about the future. I address these struggles by utilizing a holistic approach that combines attachment theories, body-centered techniques, and family context awareness. These strategies allow me to focus on the strengths already within each client, and uncover past wounds that might be limiting growth. I truly believe that every individual, couple and family has the capacity to grow and thrive!

As a relationship and family therapist, I provide a non-judgmental and affirming space that acknowledges and celebrates the beauty of human experience. I help couples, relationships and families to examine and create new patterns, communicate more openly and lovingly, and strengthen the relationships in their lives. My approach to therapy focuses on helping you to identify, explore, and, if helpful, lift constraints that may be interfering with the ability to live your definition of a healthy, balanced life.

If you're here maybe a small part of you believes change is possible, if that part isn't there, I'll believe until you can. I provide a compassionate and caring space where you feel seen and heard, so that we can uncover your strengths, dreams, and learn how to navigate through the complexities of society, your experiences, and your feelings. My hope is to create a space of exploration and collaboration, where you can feel empowered, laugh, be vulnerable, and grow. I enjoy working with clients of all identities, including: LBGTQ+ individuals, gender identities, cultural and racial backgrounds, and creatives.

At different points in our lives, the distance between “just being alive” and “thriving” can seem far too great. Oppressive factors, symptoms of trauma, depression and anxiety can hold you back. Know that healing is possible. My role is to be your active collaborator on your journey to inhabit your own life and embrace your unique aliveness. I offer a variety of therapeutic methods that help you connect with yourself, your relationships, and your own internal resilience.

Briarwood Counseling seeks to help people who are struggling to figure out how to feel better in their lives. I work with individuals, couples and families struggling with depression, anxiety, life and relationship transitions into and out of parenthood, grief, loss, and rebuilding after abuse and trauma experiences. I also help clients that aren't quite sure what is wrong but want to figure out what is wrong. Sometimes people just feel "stuck" and want their lives to look different or want to move into a more positive space. I help sift through the trouble and find solutions and move forward.

As a caregiver, you want a meaningful relationship with your child that helps them to thrive, succeed and feel safe. But parenting can be difficult and feel overwhelming! Your child’s behavior may be impacting your relationships, work, and sleep. You may even feel stuck trying to figure out how to best connect with your child to help them grow. When I work with families, I meet with the caregiver first to gain a deeper understanding of the current challenges you are experiencing. Ultimately, you are the expert of your child, so together we will set goals and work together every step of the way.

Often we seek therapy when our natural tools alone can't support us anymore. Maybe life has thrown something too big at us, or we have suffered silently for too long. I work collaboratively with clients to move towards personal growth, stress reduction and improved coping techniques. Through compassion and clinical tools I partner with clients to manage life transitions and navigate developmental processes. I work to create a safe, empowering space for my clients. It's an environment where I believe we are are best positioned to access insight strengthen our resilience, and build readiness for change,

I emphasize diversity, creativity, and inclusion in my practice. I recognize the effects of the larger societal and cultural environment in which identity and relationships around sexual orientation and class are shaped. It is my goal to promote the process of healing by helping clients cultivate an understanding within themselves that can help unveil the deeper meaning their struggle is pointing towards.

I believe in culturally informed treatment in the context of a supportive, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship. I value each person’s distinct experiences and goals, working collaboratively to create a path towards growth and healing. I take a strength-based approach when helping clients move towards their desired lifestyles. My theoretical approach is psychodynamic and includes mindfulness skills and family systems thinking-including genogram plotting.

You deserve a space to explore the parts of yourself that feel unknown, uncomfortable or disavowed. You deserve a space to be wholly seen and heard. We contain multitudes, and I welcome all aspects of your experience. As a queer, Latinx & white person, I have experience living in the intersections. Oppression oftentimes leaves one feeling disempowered and disconnected. By inviting those Othered parts of ourselves back in we create space for connection and congruence. In acknowledging the harm caused by societal oppression, we can learn to develop a gentle, curious and compassionate relationship with ourselves.

You might be going through a challenging life transition, crippled by worry or a traumatic experience; you have decided it's time for a change and therapy is a great tool to get you there. We can work on finding your inner strength and ultimately achieve your goals to improve your quality of life. We'll work together to enhance your (or your child's) strengths to help you overcome the challenges you are currently experiencing as well as helping you develop tools for your future.

Finding a therapist is often difficult and can feel overwhelming. Therefore, we strive to match you with a clinician who is the right fit for you in terms of style, expertise, and availability. Our team of caring and experienced clinicians provide individual, family, couples, and group psychotherapy. We specialize in areas such as trauma, relationship distress, anxiety, depression, coping with change/transitions, life-stress, and grief/mourning.

Life can be difficult and all of us struggle at times. We deal with hardship, loss, pain, break ups, hurt, relationship turmoil, work/life balance, transitions, crisis, sadness, worry and difficulty managing intense feelings. We are also resillient. We all have the inherent ability to change and thrive. Each day offers an opportunity to learn from the past and fully immerse ourselves in the present. We offer the space and tools to learn and grow through collaborative, compassionate therapeutic relationships.

Smart Love Family Services is a team of experienced therapists providing supportive relationship based psychotherapy. Our approach recognizes that all people are born with an innate potential to be happy, to feel good about themselves, and to experience close relationships. However, many find that they are not as happy as they wish. We help people create the kind of life that they want for themselves. At Smart Love, clients learn to turn away from self-sabotaging behaviors, and turn to self-caretaking and constructive coping choices for a more fulfilling life.