Therapists in Dunlap, IL

I have several years of experience in working with children who are experiencing difficulty in maintaining good behavior in school and at home. Adolescents who are struggling to maintain a safe and stable mood that includes self harmful behavior, poor self esteem, and anger. Adults who are struggling to overcome depressive symptoms, anxiety issues and family issues.

Life can be hard, painful, confusing, scary, and challenging. Events happen that leave us reeling with brokenness, grief, disbelief, guilt, fear, insecurity, and shame. We don't know what to do or which way to turn or how we got here in the first place. We may hold onto false beliefs about our self-worth, negative thoughts that tear us apart, relationships that are toxic, and behaviors that are destructive. All in an attempt to somehow alleviate how we are feeling. I am here to partner with you in working towards wholeness and healing and to empower you to move forward, happily and confidently.

Thank you for your interest. My ideal client is motivated for change and open to exploring more about themselves. I use a more direct style of counseling that heavily incorporates aspects of choice theory, reality therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help my adult clients make real changes in their lives. For children, I utilize evidence-based directive and non-directive play therapy approaches, depending upon the child's unique psychosocial needs.

I was fortunate to have received outstanding academic training as well as exceptional clinical and research opportunities (Northwestern University Medical School; University of Chicago Hospitals) that helped me develop a unique skill-set and expertise to help patients resolve a wide variety of difficulties that inhibit them from functioning at their optimal levels of emotional health and wellness. My clinical practice is empirically (research) based. This "best practice“ approach incorporates the latest empirically-based research findings from the fields of clinical psychology, health psychology and behavioral medicine.

Are you feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed? Do you feel each day is a struggle and there is no hope? Do you have anger that is difficult to control? Have you experienced a life-changing event that you need help coping with and understanding? Is your child or teenager struggling with emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties? Are you a concerned parent? People visit counselors for many reasons. For some it is the beginning of breaking free of chains preventing discovery of their true self. For others it means understanding why unhealthy patterns of behavior continue. For all it is an investment in hope and change.

I have 12 years of experience working with adolescents with behavioral and emotional difficulties. I have completed the Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder certification program through the International OCD Foundation. I have extensive experience working with family issues including divorce, legal problems, sexual abuse, and other mental illnesses. I have worked with many adults and adolescents experiencing anxiety and depressive symptoms.

It is my belief that all too often in life, we are dealt situations and circumstances we don't prepare for. We might feel as though we have no support or the proper care we deserve. I feel that therapy can be beneficial in ways that help us understand ourselves in a more positive and healthy way. I encourage putting our mental and physical well-being first, so that we are able to confront the challenges of everyday a little bit easier. I enjoy helping others find strength within themselves, and using this to lead a productive and beneficial lifestyle.

The Midwest Asian Health Association's Community Mental Health Clinic (CMHC) was established in 2015 with the vision to provide linguistically appropriate, culturally sensitive, and financially affordable mental health services to underserved Asian American & Pacific Islander, Asian immigrants, and other low-income minority populations in the Midwest. The counselors and staff at the CMHC are dedicated to creating community in which all people, regardless of language or ability to pay, will be able to access mental health services to improve their mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

It was Irvin Yalom who said something to the effect that "psychotherapy is like a dress rehearsal for life". With this said, it is my intention to not only offer you support in therapy but to also help you generalize the skills you learn in therapy and apply them in your outside life and relationships. I specialize in anger and anxiety management for adults and adolescents. I hold an Anger Management Certification. I also enjoy working with highly intelligent adults and teens who have a difficult time adjusting and adapting socially. This includes working with individuals on the high functioning end of the Autism scale.

Our life experiences shape who we are and sometimes those experiences can be painful. The thoughts and feelings we have about those experiences shape our beliefs. My job as a therapist is to partner with you to discover how your thoughts and feelings shape your behavior. I believe that all behavior serves as a function for us and when we understand the function we can change our negative behaviors to positive behaviors. **I also offer Mediation for contested and uncontested cases; specializing in the area of children agreements. Mediation is a much more cost effective way to reach agreements in the Divorce process.

Darin received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Illinois. He has been assisting individuals, couples and families for more than 20 years and uses a strength-based approach to his counseling. Darin takes great satisfaction in helping his clients increase their self-awareness in order to improve their ability to regulate their thoughts and behaviors . Areas of skill building include but are not limited to: avoiding thinking errors, increasing personal responsibility, increasing emotional intelligence, assertiveness training, integrating faith into decision making, stress management, enhancing parenting skills and improving self-esteem.

Connection is why we are here. Too often we focus on what we don't have, what we don't want, and how we don't measure up. This leaves us feeling depressed, disconnected, and isolated. I want to help you ask and answer a different set of questions. What do you already have? What do you really want? What are you passionate about? How are you already good enough?

My philosophy towards therapy and, being a therapist,can be put this way.You can create positive change in your life. You can overcome difficult and even seemingly overwhelming obstacles. The first step is to believe that you are worthy of a better life no matter what the present situation tells you. The next step is to accept that, 'Life is a Journey'. I think there is incredible wisdom and hope in those words; a journey is on-going, and, life gives you opportunities to change as you choose! Sometimes we just need a little help figuring out how to start.