Therapists in Lake View, Chicago, IL

Starting therapy can be a daunting and overwhelming process. It is my goal to make it an easy and comfortable transition. I view therapy as a team approach including the child and/or adolescent, the family, community resources, and myself. We work together to best address the presenting challenge. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience working with children, adolescents, and families within a variety of therapeutic settings. I received my Master of Social Work from New York University and a Post Master's Degree from Loyola University.

I am a firm believer that when undergoing life’s challenges, we owe it to ourselves to be our own best support person we can be. Sometimes that means asking for help. Whether it’s managing the stresses of everyday life, keeping up with ever changing and ongoing societal and systemic concerns, or managing serious mental health distress, I am excited and honored to work with you towards your therapy goals.

I believe that anyone is capable of change, and that change can be made easier with the help of supportive relationships. As a therapist, I do not see myself as the authority on your experience, but rather, I accept each of my clients as the expert on their own lives. I strive to create a balanced relationship built on understanding and authenticity with each individual who enters the therapy space. I have significant experience supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly those who are survivors of trauma. I embrace all expressions of gender, and I am a trauma-informed, sex-positive, kink-friendly, and poly-affirming counselor.

You deserve to get more out of life and your relationships than just surviving each day. Making the decision to seek support from a professional is the first and most important step toward positive growth. With careful consideration of your own needs, and a therapists experience and expertise; you can begin to evolve. As a clinician, I believe that each person has the answers that they seek and as your counselor my role is to help support self-discovery, facilitate increased personal insight and work together with you to accomplish your goals, whatever they may be.

Ellen is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 15 years of experience working with adolescents, adults, and families in various clinical and community settings. In addition to individual therapy, she is a former group therapist, school counselor, group trainer, and international teacher and tutor. Ellen is a trained trauma therapist and works with EMDR to help address issues surrounding anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief. Ellen brings warmth and non-judgement to sessions to help clients recognize and experience their emotions and natural capacities for change.

I am licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) who has been providing counseling to individuals and families since 2000. My personal intention for working with you, and all of my clients, is to approach therapy from a holistic perspective. A holistic perspective looks at the mind, body, and spirit with the goal of bringing these aspects of self into harmony. My primary goal is to help you foster your own inner strength to create the life you want. You may find that the therapy process cultivates more peace in your life or changes the way you want to live. I am currently focusing on individuals only.

It is continually inspiring to be part of the collaborative exploration of how we think, feel, function, and experience the world around us which occurs in therapy. In my work with clients and in my own therapy, I’ve seen how a relationship with an empathic professional can be critical in developing self-understanding and making practical, positive changes. My goal is to create a warm and nonjudgmental space where you can feel comfortable and safe, while also providing honest and direct feedback to support your growth.

Hello and welcome. I work with adults of all ages and my approach is active and collaborative. I see people with a variety of concerns, although I do specialize in three broad areas. These include helping people cope with medical conditions, major stressful events, and substance abuse recovery. If your particular issue is holding you back, impacting your personal or work life, or causing you significant distress such as anxiety or depression, then I invite you to read on and check out my website.

I have experience working with all ages: children, adolescents, young adults, families, and couples; and with those presenting with anxiety, depression, PTSD, CPTSD, developmental disorders, and chronic mental illness, among others. I am grounded in psychodynamic therapy, with an emphasis on attachment based interventions and Family Systems. Furthermore, I integrate different therapies (when needed), taking into consideration the complexity of multicultural perspectives that shape our lives, to meet the unique needs of each individual. I have conducted neuropsychological assessments, and am currently Adjunct Faculty at ISPP.

Therapy can be a powerful tool for positive change no matter what's going on in your life. A calm, protected space to work through challenging relationship dynamics could provide just the relief you're needing. Maybe you and your partner are in a rut and feeling disconnected. I can give supportive tools and unbiased guidance to help strengthen connection, improve communication, and set healthy boundaries. You deserve to enhance the relationship you have with yourself and those you love most.

I have an interest in working with teenagers and young adults who are experiencing difficulties, along with people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ population, but also work with all age groups and anyone interested in art therapy. My specialties include emotional regulation, anxiety, depression, stress management, identity exploration, trauma and grief work, and body image and self-esteem. I have experience working with teenagers, parents, and young adults who are dealing with stress, trauma, self-esteem, transitions, and emotional regulation along with depression and anxiety.

I enable clients to access the wisdom of their emotions to enhance their relationships and lives. Happy relationships and solid self-esteem are the foundations of psychological and emotional well-being, while disharmony, worries, and unhappiness signal that we need to experience new ways to effectively express feelings and enact aspirations in our lives. I strive to provide an inviting and nonjudgmental therapeutic context to empower clients to find satisfying ways to address concerns. My integrative approach draws upon Western science and Eastern wisdom, including Buddhist approaches to well-being.

I approach therapy with positivity, mindfulness, humor and goals. I am a certified substance abuse counselor and an EMDR trained clinician. I also incorporate spirituality to holistically treat my clients mind, body and soul. My clinical skills are rooted in CBT, DBT, Psycho-dynamic and Motivational Interviewing.

People find themselves looking for the help of a professional when their previous ways of coping are no longer effective and they feel lost or stuck. Therapy is an opportunity for change. By entering into therapy, you offer yourself an opportunity to explore your needs and feelings with an insightful, caring professional who can support you in finding new ways of meeting the challenges in your life. I am interested in helping my patients understand themselves, their behaviors, and their experiences by making meaning of how past experiences have impacted them and potentially influence current behaviors, relationships, and life circumstances.

For the past 15+ years, I have had the pleasure of helping individuals and couples find relief from life's stressors. I work with a wide range of concerns and am especially effective with life transitions, depression, anxiety, relationship, LGBTQ, grief, and family stressors. I aim to provide a safe, supportive, confidential space to help you deepen your self-understanding, change problematic patterns, and enhance self-esteem. As a feminist and multicultural psychologist, I am also sensitive to the ways oppression and marginalization affect psychological wellbeing, and I welcome clients from diverse backgrounds and identities.

I utilize a growth-oriented approach to empower people to problem solve and make changes to pursue the life they envision. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) strategies are used in my practice, with an emphasis on the use of trauma-sensitive mindfulness, to equip people with the skills needed to overcome life’s stressors and challenges. In dialectics, we acknowledge the opposing sides of each experience and work together to synthesize the two. I prioritize developing a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship that will meet you where you are at in your journey, and will come alongside you to cultivate your strengths.

Do you feel overwhelmed by painful thoughts and feelings but don't know what to do about them? Are you stuck in patterns of behavior that no longer work for you? Do you wish you had the tools to respond to anxiety differently? I use personalized mindfulness and exposure-based therapies to help you build awareness and skills to address what is leaving you feeling stuck and in pain. I am currently offering telehealth and limited in-person services for adults 18 and older.

I believe in using an integrative, compassionate, and creative relationship-based approach that utilizes techniques from cognitive-behavioral, existential, EMDR, and Clinical Hypnosis. I adapt my approach to match the needs of the person and meet them where they are. I believe in treating the whole person through a collaborative relationship that utilizes individual strengths and experiences to discover new ways to cope with the difficulties we experience throughout life. More than anything I believe there is always hope for every client and my goal is to help them create a unique and meaningful avenue to positive 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 creating a safe and affirming space for clients to cultivate an understanding within themselves that can help unveil the deeper meaning their struggle is pointing towards.