Therapists in Buena Park, Chicago, IL

It is not always easy to admit when we need help – and then to ask for it. Taking the step to seek therapy is an important one, and I want to help make it a positive experience for you. Sometimes our worlds on the inside and on the outside can leave us with overwhelming feelings that may not be easy to manage on our own, and you don’t have to. As you work with me, you will find that I am compassionate and easy to talk to. I support clients in a number of areas, including: trauma; questions around identity and expression; relationships; family of origin; life transitions; anxiety; and depression, to name a few.

As a therapist, my number one goal is to approach you with acceptance, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. I enter every therapeutic relationship with a genuine curiosity to understand the lives, struggles, and strengths of my clients. I believe in starting wherever you are comfortable. My office is a safe place to make sense of what is going on in your life. Together we will clarify your goals, identify obstacles, and find ways to overcome them. My approach relies on encouraging honesty, trust, acceptance, and safety. I believe everyone is capable of change.

Feeling stuck? Having career problems? Struggling with self-esteem? If so, I'd like to help. I'm an interactive therapist and coach in Chicago who guides people to a place of change. Using a collaborative approach, I empower clients with anxiety, trauma, phobias and stress to create balance. Cognitive behavior therapy, hypnotherapy, and coaching are used as tools of transformation - and healing. Homework is often given at the end of sessions to reinforce learning concepts. Click on "Website" to learn more about my background.

Are you feeling stuck and struggling to make a healthier change in your life? Is your anxiety crippling you or do you feel down and can’t shake it off? Many people deal with anxiety, depression in silence, especially the ones adjusting to a new identity such as parenthood. Others’ anxiety comes from challenges at work, relationships and other life stressors. I work with clients who struggle in silence and constantly ruminate on changing yet they might not have the tools nor the energy to get out of feeling stuck.

Are you tired of feeling stressed and anxious? Feeling stuck or overwhelmed by it all? At times, it can feel as though anxiety controls every aspect of your life. Your anxiety decides what you say or don’t, it impacts the choices you make, and holds you back from doing the things you want to do. Some days, before you even open your eyes, you may already feel anxious. You have done everything you can imagine to find relief on your own. A part of you worries that you are plagued with this anxiety for life, while another part of you knows it can get better.

Sometimes we might feel like nobody understands us or what we are going through. Life can present some major challenges, and it is hard to be trapped in what seems like an inescapable situation. I know what it is like to feel stuck. These types of situations are numerous: problems communicating with a partner, having low motivation in a job, missing a loved one that you have lost, paralyzing anxiety about making an important decision. Seeking the help of a mental health professional is the first step in getting unstuck. There is great courage in being able to ask for help. I am glad that you are embarking on this journey.

Congratulations! By looking at this site, you have already taken the first step to your healing process. Psychological struggles can feel so isolating. Psychotherapy is a powerful method for restoring wellness and facilitating both short-term and enduring changes. I utilize a collaborative approach with my clients, which provides them with a non-judgmental and compassionate safe space to feel empowered to take action and change.

I am a conversational therapist. I attempt to establish a comfortable environment that allows for humor and examples to clarify concepts and patterns of thinking. I believe in empowering the client for change and am an empathic and intuitive listener which allows me to hone in on client strengths. Directly communicating these strengths and modeling behavior offers the client the opportunity to achieve milestones leading to increased self-esteem.

IIPC is a place that is as healing for our healers as it is for our clients. We believe humans thrive in connection and community, feeling seen and heard for who they are and what they have experienced. We are a diverse group of clinicians and inspiration-makers who know that to hold others in their process, we must also feel held. Staff are experts in their own identities, lives and careers. We are better clinicians by bringing our whole selves to our work.

**Waitlist Open** You worry all the time, over plan, research, and over think so things turn out just right. You replay conversations in your head of ways you “should have” acted differently. You feel anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed often. Most of us have felt this way at some point in life. I know I have! Short term stress from time to time is normal. However, high and/or ongoing anxiety/stress is disruptive. When we are anxious for prolonged periods of time it impacts our physical, mental, and emotional health. The body is tense, sleep is disrupted, and we have less control over our emotions.

Sarah (she/her) is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). As a health and wellness enthusiast, Sarah harnesses her passion to help each person reach their full potential in their craft and life. Sarah treats individuals with a wide variety of needs, including anxiety, life transitions, and sports performance concerns. She utilizes a non-judgmental perspective in both clinical and performance consulting. While exuding warmth and compassion, she helps clients persevere through adversities and celebrate triumphs.

I have a wide range of expereince dealing with emotional difficulties and relationship difficulties. I want my clients to experience their "self" as good and true. I want them to learn to trust themselves, and to experience a sense of vitality and accomplishment in living.

With an empathic and genuine ability to connect with others, I have worked extensively with Immigrants and refugees, the LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented communities of color. My aim is to meet the demand for culturally sensitive, person centered services where people can Identify and feel safe and comfortable on their healing journey. I have also worked with people experiencing homelessness, substance use and co-occuring mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and trauma.

One of my favorite song lyrics says, "I'm just a spirit trying to be human." There’s so much weight that lives inside those words: emotions, questions, uncertainty. For those of us who wander, question who we are, or wonder what our purpose is, we can stumble if life hasn’t met our expectations. The majority of my clients identify as misfits, empaths, spiritual beings, and highly sensitive people who have survived childhood trauma, harsh life transitions, and an occasional identity crisis.

I believe in a holistic approach to counseling and therapy and provide full-spectrum and client-specific treatment in a warm and non-judgmental setting. Most of us lead complicated and stressful lives and often find ourselves unable to cope with the many challenges facing us on a daily basis. I utilize an eclectic approach to therapy and draw from various therapeutic approaches to address the unique needs of each client. I also incorporate mindfulness, breathing, and meditation into sessions when it is appropriate for dealing with stress, anxiety, and related issues.

Therapy is an Investment in yourself and a first step in making positive life changes. With over 20 years of experience I bring compassion, sensitivity and a genuine interest to solution focused treatment. I approach treatment through active listening in a conversational style. Together we will establish areas of your life in which you would like to make changes and we will develop goals & strategies to maximize your desired outcomes. Unresolved past issues will be addressed & integrated into treatment to enrich growth and positive change.

I approach therapy based upon the three core values: Curiosity, Compassion, and Community. I want to be curious about each client or couple that walks through my door. I want to know their unique problem and share some of my knowledge and skills to assist in meeting their goals. I want to be compassionate to each individual and explore what fosters their own sense of compassion. I also want to understand a person's community. Isolation is a painful state of being and I want to find how clients connect to others and build an environment of safety.