Therapists in Peoria County, IL

These difficult and unprecedented times are causing an increase in anxiety and depression. I am a Christian who is a counselor. I work with people of all faiths as well as those who do not have any particular spiritual viewpoint. It is my aim to treat all of my clients with compassion and integrity. I will take the time to get to know you, and help you get to know yourself. Throughout the decades, I have practiced a variety of counseling techniques that we can tailor to suit your individual needs and personality. "Welcome to your life... only better!"

As a therapy client myself, I can tell you it takes courage to find a therapist. Life is not neat and tidy. We all need help. Not judgement, not lectures, not hearing people say ‘learn to cope.’ Healing is not a linear journey, it’s a process. I can be your partner in that process. You are the expert of your life! I’m a sounding board to help you find the solutions within! This is the case regardless of whether are dealing with depression, anxiety, communication issues, trauma, or grief.

I specialize in treating anxiety, depression, relationship issues, problems with achievement and unhealthy coping with professional stress. I will help you feel like you are heard and your problems are understood. We'll work together to help determine what tools or skills you will need to overcome the emotions that are keeping you from living the life you want. I'll help you build your skills to overcome what has previously held you back. I work with people from a variety of backgrounds including those who work in healthcare, business, law, technology, engineering, and students (high school through graduate school).

Accepting new clients. I enjoy working with clients of all ages and backgrounds to develop individualized treatment strategies and use measurement-based techniques to ensure that we are on the right track. I am a proud Christian, devoted husband, and loving father to four children. I am a licensed and board certified Clinical Psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience providing psychological assessment, treatment and consultation to Department of Defense and other U.S. Government personnel across the world. I am a proud Army veteran, who served 11 years on Active Duty, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Connection matters; we weren't meant to go through life's hurts and challenges alone. Oftentimes we get this connection through friends and family, but sometimes we need more than that. Sometimes it feels as though we are stuck in the spot we are in without hope of things changing. I understand that it's difficult to take that step towards counseling. My heart is to create a space to feel heard, understood, and to gain hope as we walk through those stuck points together.

Sandi Kellerstrass, owner of and therapist for Syndeo Counseling is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) with nine years of therapeutic experience. She holds a BA in Leadership and Management and an MA in Counseling from Lincoln Christian University. Sandi has prior field experience in community-based counseling, foster care and adoption preservation.

Through a collaborative and compassionate approach, I work to create a safe space where you can feel heard, understood, and validated. My goal is to help clients achieve their goals, improve their relationships, and enhance their overall well-being. We often look to the past to identify our core beliefs that guide our current worldview, priorities, and decision making. We have been learning these "core beliefs" about ourselves and the world since before we could walk and sometimes we stop integrating new observations and we become stuck. You can get unstuck with Shauna.

My background is working with children and adolescents, as well as some work with adult women. I have worked with clients with a variety of mental health needs. I particularly enjoy helping children with emotional and behavioral regulation, helping teenagers gain insight about the kind of person they want to be and helping adult women manage the stressors of everyday life.

Not a single one of our lives has escaped pain, hurt, rejection, loss, or other traumatic events. It’s a part of the world we live in; a part we cannot evade. Each generation, the trauma becomes more complex, as it builds on the previous generation’s unresolved trauma. It presents itself as depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleeplessness, trouble concentrating, self-destructive behaviors (including addiction), physical illness, overwhelming guilt or shame, and the inability to form healthy relationships. But it doesn’t have to continue. You can loosen the hold that it has on your life. You can end the cycle of generational trauma.

Making change is difficult and I hope to help. Life can be complex and overwhelming, with both triumphs and challenges. It's during these moments of struggle that we often find ourselves seeking guidance, support, and understanding. That's where I come in. My approach is rooted in empathy, respect, and the belief that you are the expert of your own life. I am here to walk alongside you, offering a safe and non-judgmental space where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. In our sessions, I strive to create a warm and compassionate environment, one where you feel truly heard and validated.