Therapists in Palos Park, IL

I understand life can be stressful. We all struggle at times and need someone to help us through. In my work with clients and families, I firmly believe in building on the strengths and resilience you already possess to help you get through more difficult moments. My attitude and approach to treatment is that while we all have our struggles, every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. I specialize in working with individuals or adult family members, such as couples, siblings, parents, or entire family units.

At Mindful Healing Counseling, we are committed to providing inclusive, affirming, compassionate, and exceptional care to help you create meaningful and long-lasting change. Our dedicated and experienced therapists have a passion for helping people work through the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts that can arise with feelings of anxiety, stress, depression, conflicts in relationships, struggling to find one’s identity, the demands of motherhood, neurodiversity, or working through one of the many challenges life can bring.

I enjoy supporting children, teens, and adults on their healing journey. I place genuine connection and authenticity at the forefront of my work, collaborating with clients in their identity exploration and resilience building. In my work, I’ve supported people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship distress, body image issues, life transitions, and LGBTQIA+-specific concerns. Additionally, I am passionate about the use of art as a form of reflection and self-exploration.

I specialize in primary and secondary trauma experienced by law enforcement officers, firefighters/paramedics, educators, veterans, mental health professionals, survivors of suicide, survivors of violent crimes, their families, and those struggling with complicated and traumatic grief. I see clients who need help managing their anger and addictive behaviors. Additionally, I work with survivors of Near Death Experiences (NDE). I am Certified in Critical Incident Response and conduct debriefings with the first responders. I also offer mandated psychotherapy for fit-for-duty protocols for law enforcement officers.

I am an experienced psychotherapist and I work with clients from diverse backgrounds. I have extensive experience working with clients who are adult children of alcoholics and helping clients who have suffered a loss(es) and seek bereavement counseling. I also work with adults and youths who have both depression and anxiety, including panic attacks and phobias. I offer specific strategies to combat anxiety and panic attacks. My particular expertise has been working with parents and their children. Other areas of practice are sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Not currently accepting new clients. I specialize in therapy for the big decisions that dramatically change your life. Maybe you're feeling panic, indecision, sadness, or grief about the kind of life you want but aren't living. I support people through life transitions related to things like sexuality and gender identity, education and career change, pregnancy and reproductive decisions, dating/partnering/marriage, parenting, divorce/separation, and disability/health concerns. I affirm LGBTQ+ people at all stages of life transition. I value and affirm blended and chosen families, polyamory, and non-monogamy.

I specialize in helping teens and young adults navigate the complexities of life, providing a safe and supportive environment for therapy. I understand that this stage of life can be challenging, and my goal is to make therapy a positive experience, where you feel heard and valued. Together, we'll work on building skills and strategies to help you manage stress, anxiety, and other issues that come with growing up. My approach is empathetic and empowering, designed to give you the tools you need to thrive in this tough world. Let's take this journey together—you're not alone

Have you gone as far as you can in traditional psychotherapy? Are you looking to go deeper sooner? Do you want sustainable results within one to three sessions? Are you serious and committed to treatment? Then consider undergoing psychological surgery in addition to psychotherapy. For 28 years I have helped patients release fear, anger, shame, guilt, depression, or anxiety so they can experience sustaining self-love, joy, compassion, forgiveness, and discernment. If you have lost your way and want to remember who you really are, I am here to accompany you on your journey to heal at the deepest level possible.

When I was looking for my first therapist, I wanted someone older and smarter to tell me what to do, how to take the pain away. Twenty five years and six therapists later, I want a Sherpa - someone who's been where I have yet to go to show me that it's possible. I've already lived through several lifetimes. I've sat through the havoc of a divorce and the shame of causing pain to my children, the confusion of starting anew, the anxiety of dating, the elation of a new love and a crushing heartbreak of a betrayal. The agonizing loneliness of falling asleep in an empty bed and the complete inability to get up the next morning.

My practice works with a diverse population. I specialize in addiction, both Sex Addiction and a range of other addictions. I run groups for sex addicts and for the partners of sex addicts. I also specialize in trauma and work with adolescent and adult trauma survivors, both male and female. The practice also works with the LGBTQ community.

I believe that the relationship formed between therapist and client is at the core of therapy; it is my privilege and responsibility to listen to my clients' experiences with respect and without judgment. I collaborate with my clients to help them trust their voice, honor their inner wisdom, strengthen their personal insight, listen to their bodies, access their story, bring meaning to their past experiences, and find hope for the future. Before becoming a psychotherapist I taught therapeutic dance to people of all ages.

Sometimes it can be hard to begin to understand where your thoughts and feelings are coming from. They can be so overwhelming that you just want to run away from them. Therapy can help you begin to find some order in the chaos. Together we will work to develop insight around the underlying sources of feelings of worry, sadness, despair, anger, etc. I strive to provide a safe, warm, judgement free space where you can feel fully comfortable delving into your inner thoughts and feelings while working towards lasting positive change.

I'm a big fan of being human and in my office, I try to empower you to embrace all the messy yet beautiful emotions and experiences that come with being human. Many of life's events such as the diagnosis of a chronic illness, divorce, work or school issues, relationship issues, and life transitions can feel overwhelming with a roller-coaster of emotions. I can offer you a safe, engaging, and non-judgmental space to help you through all the challenges that life brings. I specialize in working with individuals (adolescents ages 5+, young adults, adults) to better manage daily stressors and any expected & unexpected life transitions.

My primary goal is to provide you with a warm and caring therapeutic space where you feel heard and understood. I bring genuineness, compassion, and unconditional acceptance into my work. I have a passion to support children, tweens, teens, and young adults. I am a relational, collaborative, and person-centered therapist. I utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, values driven work, Adlerian psychotherapy, and play therapy interventions to help my clients facilitate meaningful growth and change.

We all deserve a safe space to be our authentic selves, where we can find support during the most intimate and vulnerable moments. I view our therapeutic relationship as a partnership and am here to work with you and honor your unique experience. As we work together, I aim to foster a judgment-free, safe space and empower you with the tools and skills to help you thrive. There is no problem too big or too small, and my role is to connect you with the answers, break relational patterns, and reacquaint you with your most authentic self.

Becoming the person, parent, partner, and professional you want to be can leave you feeling stressed, overwhelmed, sad, and alone. In a world where there's too much to do and too little time, finding space for yourself can seem impossible. You deserve the same level of care that you generously offer to every other aspect of your life. I provide a nurturing space where you can safely explore and understand your challenges. Whether you're managing anxiety or depression, breaking free from cycles of trauma, struggling with work-life balance, establishing boundaries, or exploring your identity, you don’t have to do it alone.

From my perspective, therapy is the ultimate representation of "working smart, not hard." There is no question that life can be incredibly difficult, and we have all learned ways to adapt and bear our unique burdens. A therapist can be instrumental in making the weight you carry just the slightest bit lighter. Through the development of targeted coping skills and candid conversation, I aim to assist each of my clients in "doing life" just a little bit better.

Perhaps you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or hopeless. But you're also feeling ready for change, which is why you're here. It's common to feel like our thoughts and emotions are in a confusing and tangled knot, whether we have experienced trauma, challenging family dynamics, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and/or other mental health challenges. What I can do is help you untangle the knot one thread at a time, make sense of these parts, and understand their origins and connections. Most importantly, together we can start to weave a new pattern that suits you, so you feel empowered to live an authentic and fulfilling life.

I believe that therapeutic change comes from the process of building and maintaining relationships while remaining connected to our sense of self, including within the therapy room. I work primarily from a relational and psychodynamic stance, meaning that I am interested in how your past experiences impact you in the present. My approach to therapy is also informed by attachment patterns (how we act and feel in relationships) and somatic sensations (what our body is telling us about our environment).