Family Therapy in University Village, Chicago, IL

We're a trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive mental health counseling group for multicultural, Asian, BIPOC, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized communities. We're passionate about working with individuals, couples and families from different cultural backgrounds, exploring how complex identities and unique personal experiences have shaped us into who we are. We specialize in healing from anxiety, complex trauma, relationship issues, perinatal issues, ADHD, adoption, OCD, stress, cultural identity, cultural/intergenerational conflicts, family conflicts, grief, and other issues.

Joie is a North Side resident with personal experience in coping with childhood and medical trauma, and nurturing chronically ill/disabled, neurodivergent, and LGBTQ+ identities in an able-focused, neurotypical, and cis-heteronormative world. Joie is a former social emotional and sexual health educator with a background working as a therapist in the schools, and over telehealth with children, adolescents, and adults, with a particular focus on trauma and gender/sexuality identity development.

I work with children, adults, and families, and utilize psychodynamic and family systems therapies to increase resiliency and self-awareness in order for direct changes to occur in your daily life. I specialize in child/adolescent therapy, play therapy, family therapy, trauma, child sexual abuse, anxiety, addiction, diagnostic assessments for children 0-5, racial/cultural stress and acculturation, grief/loss, attachment difficulties, and parental stress.

My therapeutic style focuses on safety & empowerment. I may be the clinician, but I honor the fact that you are the expert of your own life. I build trust by wearing my heart on my sleeve. I would never ask you to risk your vulnerability if I am unwilling to risk my own. I may use humor to foster hope & ease discomfort. I welcome you to question my perspectives to improve the power of our co-created insights. We will collaborate to develop ways for you to make new choices, break old patterns, and build more effective supports. Our work will help you unlock your potential for healing, and get you closer to the person you want to be.

NOW Accepting New Clients! We are here to support you. Life Aligned Counseling offers individual and couples counseling services. Our team of therapists has experience in a wide variety of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, loss and grief, relationship issues, self-esteem and self-concept, family conflict, stress management, spirituality, significant life transitions, lgbtqia+ concerns, women's issues, men's issues, etc.

Do you feel caught in a web of worry, sadness, or uncertainty? I understand those feelings. I also understand the healing that comes from being heard, validated, and supported. There is hope and positive change is possible with the right support and coping skills. I will help you get to the root cause of your problems, overcome your challenges, and shift into the person you want to be.

Life can be hard. It's okay to talk about it. If you are feel mentally and emotionally overwhelmed do not hesitate to reach out for support. I offer a safe space to work through your feelings and experiences and to gain effective coping strategies and solutions. Things can get better with the right help and support.

I am a Latina bilingual therapist who works with children, adolescents, emerging adults, and adults and provide individual and family therapy. I provide an open and safe environment where we can work towards improving your mental health, have it be reducing anxiety, depression, processing trauma or improving communication skills. My counseling style is very empathetic, mindful and client-centered, yet direct and straightforward. I believe in using the therapeutic relationship as an effective way to work though your experiences and start therapy where you are ready to start and at the pace you're ready to start.

I am a graduate from Northwestern University's Family Institute, and Owner of Watch Hill Therapy, Trauma Specialty Practice in downtown Chicago and in McHenry Co. Our clinicians use a holistic, relational, and collaborative approach to address the many needs that being traumatized creates. We are invested in your long term recovery and the quality of care you receive.

We live in a culture where we deal with daily stress and sometimes trauma based on our marginalized identities, whether they be race, gender, sexual orientation, class, or ability level. Combine that with the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the stress of the constant negative news feed, and it becomes easy to feel overwhelmed and lose our balance. Having been in practice for 18 years and tuned into the ways in which our culture affects us all, I'm here to help. Reaching out to a therapist can be scary. I work to create an open, judgement-free environment where we will work on your problems collaboratively.

Do you ever feel like the support of your family and friends is not enough? You don't have to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder to benefit from therapy. Many people turn to therapy for help with everyday life issues: relationship problems, anxiety, and self-doubt. Others seek therapy during difficult times such as sexual abuse and grief. In order to reap the benefits of therapy it's important that you choose the right therapist- someone you can trust, who makes you feel valued with the experience to help you overcome emotional challenges and make changes for the better in your life.

I offer a warm, compassionate space for clients to explore inner struggles in order to achieve a fuller life. I believe in the importance of working through difficult early and current life experiences as a means to shift the story that we tell ourselves into a more empowering narrative. Clients find my acceptance, kindness and humor draws them into a journey towards change.

I enjoy working with clients from all different backgrounds, and I welcome anyone who is motivated to work hard to reach therapeutic goals and to create desired change in his/her life. I especially like working with relational issues, both with individual clients as well as couples and families. Having been trained in family systems, I tend to focus on relational dynamics, attachment, and family of origin influences. I have a lot of experience working with divorcing families, both with children/adolescents and adults. I believe that we can create any relationship we want, as long as we are open and committed.

I work to help people make lasting revisions to their lives through practical change-oriented work. This vocationally focused approach instructs and helps people to recognize, structure, and integrate their creative gifts and traditional intelligence into practical and meaningful career paths. Vocational and creative consultation are useful for midlife/quarter-life crises, college drop-outs, veterans, non-traditional students and entrepreneurs. My practice is enhanced by utilizing music, poetry, bibliotherapy, film, art, travel, dreamwork, mythology, traditional storytelling, and building a strong therapeutic relationship.

My goal as a therapist is to put you back in touch with your own unique voice and sense of self that allows you to thrive. I use a psychodynamic, existential approach to find solutions to the unique challenges your life contains. Through building on open and honest relationship, we will explore effective coping tools and new ways to look at persistent issues that effect you.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have been providing individual, couples, family and group counseling services in a variety of settings for over 17 years. I truly believe in the power of the therapeutic process working together to identify personal challenges and develop healthy solutions that utilize individual strengths. Whether a client presents issues relating to chronic mental health, stage of life changes, relationship conflicts or simply to maintain mental wellness, therapy is a supportive environment that facilitates personal growth.

It is common for people to feel stuck in their lives and experience hardship. While reaching out for help can be daunting, therapy can be an empowering way to gain direction in your life and experience relief. I am a licensed clinical psychologist and received my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Louisville. Along with working in various clinical settings, I provide workshops on emotional health, including presenting on anxiety, relationships, and emotional intelligence.

As a trauma informed psychotherapist, I help individuals struggling with relationships, depression, anxieties, mood disorders, stress, panic attacks, emotions, certain behaviors, sexual and abuse history, goal setting and life adjustments and transitions. Many of my clients have experienced lots of emotional distress. Many are experiencing relationship issues they feel are insurmountable, flashbacks, Self- esteem, confidence and intimacy problems. They are looking to change, break cycles. They feel exhausted, nothing they tried on their own has worked. They are looking for direction, guidance and support. I'm here to help.

I have experience working with adolescents, young adults, and adults to provide individual and family counseling. I meet my clients where they are and strive to create an open, safe, and empathic space.