EMDR Therapists in Normal, IL

Greg specializes in trauma-focused therapy for children ages 5 & up, adolescents, and adults. For those who have experienced childhood trauma, relational trauma, or complex trauma, life often feels overwhelming. Their sense of self, relationships, & view of the past, present, & future become rocky at best. As a result many trauma survivors live in chronic state of anxiety, depression, numbness, fatigue, burn out & suffer from illness. In addition to trauma survivors, Greg works closely with children, teens, young adults, & adoptive families struggling with depression, anxiety, dissociation, mood disorders, behavioral issues & more.

Alya Abbed is a licensed therapist specializing in trauma treatment. Al has over 18 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in mental health. Her clinical expertise is treating complex trauma including childhood abuse/neglect in addition to physical/sexual/emotional abuse and sexual assault. She is formally trained in EMDR , ITR, Theraplay, and trauma-informed sexual assault. Al's therapeutic modality of choice is talk therapy alongside EMDR , CBT, and DBT. She received her Bachelor's degree in Pyschology and her Master's degree in Community Counseling from Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Sometimes we lose our way in life or we are inhibited by past trauma/grief that can leave us overwhelmed and confused. I believe that you can't always choose your circumstances in life, but you can choose to overcome them. I also believe that you have the power to manage/control your thoughts and feelings instead of allowing them to control you. My goal is to help you work through those past or current issues, overcome those difficult circumstances in life, and to help you gain control over your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to help enhance your well-being.

What has motivated me in my 20+ years of practice me is the belief that change is possible when aligned with hope. Presenting issues are often about relationships and self discovery. Professionally and personally, I can attest that healthy relationships are vital to emotional well being- so exploration of relationships, present or past, is one aspect of therapy, along with communication and self understanding. As has been said "we are born in relationship, wounded in relationship, and are healed in relationship".

I am a licensed clinical professional counselor (MA, LCPC) in central Illinois. I have been working in the mental health field specializing in trauma across the lifespan (children, adolescents, and adults). My clinical expertise and training includes trauma focused therapy, shame and resiliency, healthy relationships, as well as working alongside foster and adoptive families. I believe therapy includes “an us.” It is an engaging and collaborative process. My hope is to provide a safe and warm environment to facilitate healing and growth.

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.

Life can bring about overwhelming emotional experiences that make us feel out of touch with our ourselves. Healing is possible. Neuroscience has shown us that our brains have the ability to make new connections and heal throughout our entire lives. We can restore our balance and find ourselves again. I love helping my clients to make these new healthy connections. I am committed to the clients that I serve. I use a structured approach and have clear plan of action.

Not accepting new clients 1/23. When life brings obstacles, it can be hard to find the way to peace and contentment. Have you recently experienced a loss, or is sadness or anxiety making it difficult for you to get through your days? Are you experiencing past or present hurts and traumatic memories that interfere with your emotional and physical health? You may be feeling you will “never be enough" based on rejections from the past, or struggling to find your voice or connection in a marriage or relationship. If you are feeling lost and uncertain what to do next, I am here to help with compassion and non-judgment.

Life is a journey that requires moments of reflection concerning where we have been in order to concentrate on where we could allow life to lead us next. Meeting with a therapist enables individuals and families the opportunities to inquire as to why patterns exist and encourages us to ask the questions - is this working for me? Would change benefit me? Am I uncomfortable enough with the present to commit to change? I am an attachment based therapist that works from a strengths base to encourage individuals to tolerate the discomfort that comes with introspection and inspire growth.

Are you looking for a space to work through life's challenges? I would love to help! I am not your traditional therapist--I like to make therapy a fun and creative place! Because everyone is unique, I have an eclectic approach to therapy. We will work together to create a safe space for you, where we utilize things that you're interested in, while also integrating evidence based treatment approaches like EMDR and body based approaches.

I help individuals that are tired, burnout, or struggling to cope with a variety of stressors. I find passion in helping adults find a sense of balance and passion for life again! I am passionate about working with adults that are struggling to cope with stressors such as losing a loved one, or recently experiencing a traumatic event, or individuals that are experiencing marital issues or have experienced a relationship/marriage coming to an end.

Many humans suffer from emotional distress and psychological symptoms due to aversive life events. Often times, negative experiences can become “stuck” in our brains impacting how we perceive ourselves, others, or the world. Our beliefs about ourselves can become skewed and negative. As a trauma-trained therapist, I can help you work through these past events and shift these beliefs in order to be able to live the life YOU want to live.

|| Check out my virtual trauma groups! || Do you feel like your world is unraveling? Life often throws obstacles in our paths blocking our way, and sometimes we feel trapped... stuck and unable to move forward. Our minds and bodies may no longer feel like home. We may feel frustrated, lost, and utterly alone. Our relationships may feel broken beyond repair. And we may even feel like we might be "crazy." >>> Life is too short to be spent miserable in your relationships, suffocated by your traumas, fearful for your sanity, or hustling for your own self-worth. <<<

Do you feel stress or anxiety? Does your life feel out of balance? Although you are managing, you might feel like it takes more effort to do what came easily before. Perhaps you feel stuck, and need some guidance and support to get back on track, and moving toward achieving your goals and dreams. Imagine having a comfortable, supportive place where you can be yourself and begin working to change the things preventing you from moving forward and thriving. When working with individuals, I help them identify, explore, and integrate creative and customized solutions to overcome their fears, break down barriers, and get "unstuck."