Adults Therapists in Wilmette, IL

Change is hard. But change is necessary when we find ourselves in situations where we feel sad, anxious, angry or stuck. My ultimate goal as a therapist is to help you develop more options in life -- to help you realize your potential in love, work and play. This involves the development of new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. I will be your collaborator in this process. I will strive to create a safe, empathic and non-judgmental environment that will allow you to identify and explore your current struggles. Working together, change is possible.

Life is never static and coping can become difficult when changes occur. These challenges can cause one to feel stuck. I believe that help in sorting things out can be beneficial, allowing one to gain understanding, self awareness,and the ability to feel better. Working with a non-critical therapist can help you grow and deal with life's challenges. I offer a safe and trusting environment where we can work to reduce negative feelings, fears,anxieties, doubts and frustrations. Together our focus is to help you move toward finding more satisfaction and contentment in your life.

Grieving the death of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, a decline in health, or any other life transition can be a lonely, painful, and confusing time. Your friends and family may want you to be "back to normal" but you may feel anything but "normal." I can help you to heal from your losses whether recent or in the past by providing therapeutic counseling in a safe nurturing environment. I worked in hospice for 11 years as a grief therapist. I have seen people not only heal from their losses but find new meaning and hope.

You've been feeling distressed. Maybe it's because you're concerned that an important relationship grows more conflicted or distant no matter what you've tried. Maybe it's because you're wrestling with thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that interfere with your everyday life. Finding a good match for therapy is essential to your success; you want someone who will be a knowledgeable, caring guide. Working with your personal strengths, I will join with you to find the solutions you need. Asking for feedback, listening empathically, and answering your questions are ways I collaborate with you from the beginning.

I'm fully empathic with the emotional suffering that comes with being human. I always approach whatever my client comes in with from the perspective that they are right to be having the emotional experience they're having; i.e., there are reasons for it. No judgment. No blame. As I engage in a therapeutic alliance with them, we explore together for understandings and meanings to learn those reasons, which no one can do alone. Through the alliance with me as a trusted professional, my client gains early symptom relief and is fostered in higher functioning through feeling better.

Approximately 50% of my clients have an addiction or are friends/family of an addicted individual. I am able to help you assess the addiction, understand how it is affecting you and your family, and help you develop a plan for recovery. If you are already in recovery, your counseling can further help you understand any underlying issues that may contribute to or drive the compulsions. This may include such things as anxiety, depression, life stressors, trauma, to name a few. I have a positive approach that focuses on strengths and success, building on those assets, more than pathology.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I am extensively trained to work with individuals of every age and stage of development, along with additional specialized training for couples and families. I apply a systemic perspective and strength-based and resilience approach with clients, while blending evidence-based theory into practice. I work with life stage transitions, marital satisfaction and intimacy issues, high conflict, anxiety, depression, divorced or remarried or blended families, anger management, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, multi-cultural communication, stress management, family of origin issues, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma, spiritual development, and work/life balance.

Today you are one step closer to feeling empowered and on a positive path to growth and well-being. As a solution-focused therapist, my goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life.

It takes courage to go to therapy, especially when you feel stuck and vulnerable. That is why I appreciate the importance of a safe, nurturing and non-judgemental environment. There you can explore who you are, what is important to you and to repair what is keeping you from moving forward, whether it is depression/anxiety, relationship issues or an eating disorder. Once you have self-awareness, strategies and support, you will be able to make better choices and be the person you want to be.

You may be seeking psychotherapy because something in your life is not going the way you would like. It could be troublesome relationships, depression, anxiety or general dissatisfaction. No matter the specific problem, it is my goal to help you understand why you are experiencing troublesome symptoms or challenges. Then we can get you back to feeling better, reaching personal goals and enjoying fulfilling relationships.

My approach to therapy is active, collaborative, and conversational. I work hard to create a space where you feel comfortable and understood. Within this type of connection, you are better able to explore difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences and you are more likely to make meaningful, lasting changes in your life.

Are you struggling with stress, sadness or conflict in your relationship? If so, we can help! The therapists at Lakefront Counseling Group have successfully worked with couples and individuals who want to grow, heal and feel more fulfilled in their lives. Through a collaborative approach, we help you to be an active part of your therapy as we work together to achieve your desired goals. We are seasoned, highly trained and doctoral level therapists who have a strong track record of success in helping you to increase self-awareness and life satisfaction and feel more successful in your relationships.

Many clients tell me that they feel safe with me and that I "get them." I love helping individuals and couples clarify issues, understand their relationships triggers and move into gratifying connection with others and themselves. I work particularly well with Highly Sensitive and Creative people. I graduated with a Masters from the University of Chicago specializing in individual, couples and family therapy. I offer both long and short-term counseling. I also provide consultation to other therapists both individually and in a group.

I have been a practicing therapist for 17 years, treating individuals, families, and couples. Therapy is a collaborative effort between the therapist and client. The process of change occurs optimally in the context of the therapeutic relationship. To best initiate growth, I employ a holistic approach to therapy--drawing on family systems theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, neurobiology and always humor, when possible. I try to incorporate mindfulness, meditation practices, exercise, journaling and healthy eating as some additional practices that can enhance physical and emotional well being.

While I believe that most of us attempt to manage the best we can given our current circumstances, struggles and challenges can still seem insurmountable. I want you to know that change is possible, but doing it alone may feel like an added burden. I am hoping for the opportunity to work collaboratively with you to navigate the challenges at hand. Within the context of psychotherapy, I believe that healing begins by ensuring the goodness-of-fit of the therapeutic relationship; which is a connection that develops through a shared understanding of the experiences of the human condition.

Empathy and Focusing are my special skills. You can begin to learn Focusing and other valuable skills in our work together. I studied with Dr. Eugene Gendlin at the University of Chicago. Everyone, growing up, learns some feelings are "bad." This produces obstacles to accurate perception. I am skillful at helping you find conflict-resolving passages that could remain hidden to you searching alone. With empathy, I work to create a safe environment in which you can explore feelings that may be difficult to approach on your own.

It seems like you've got it together but nobody seems to realize you're floundering. They don't know what's inside: a tally of every failure, a plan for every what if, chronic worry, fear and insecurity and thoughts- so many thoughts! It's impossible to focus. You may play a lot of roles: spouse, friend, parent, employee, entrepreneur- it's crazymaking! It can be easy to lose the YOU in all of this. You were a person before you became the social chameleon you're required to be right now. The anxious feeling never goes away and you don't know what to do, so you suffer quietly. You don't have to stay here.

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Do you have trouble staying focused, concentrating, functioning normally? Most people that seek out my expertise do because they're either in crisis or struggling, and within a few sessions, they are feeling more in control, more peaceful, and more aware of their capabilities to manage their lives and relationships better.

I am a relational therapist working with individuals, couples, and those in non-traditional relationships. Seeking support from psychotherapy is a sign of inner strength and hope, even when it feels as if ones world has turned inside-out. Life rarely allows any of us a free pass; births and deaths, personal crises, relationship troubles, childhood trauma, etc. may meet any one of us head-on at sometime during our lives. Seeking help from psychotherapy is a worthwhile path to take when ways of coping no longer seem effective. I nurture the possibility of deeper understanding and self-knowledge by creatively engaging the whole person.