Intervention Therapists in Northfield, IL

Are you experiencing anxiety, depression or feeling lost? Are feelings of codependency, addiction or preoccupation crippling your ability to live your life to the fullest? Are you feeling overwhelmed and cannot currently identify your emotions? I am here to support you in self discovery and finding a way together to explore what may be blocking you from living your most authentic life. I work with individuals, couples, and families. I specialize in working with kids and adults who are dealing with emotional/defiant/ social challenges, trauma, abuse, addiction, infertility/prenatal/postpartum, and parenting/family dynamics.

Children, teens, and adults each approach their problems from differing levels of life-experience and developmentally varied problem-solving skill sets. They also have differing neurological availability to the resources and strategies that their brains can employ. At Collaborators, Inc., we work with people where they are in time, place, development, neurology, and life space. Hearing people process their experiences in this way, and joining with them in making sense of challenges, relationship issues, conflicts, and family history issues makes for a context where people can find new ways to explore their world with confidence.

My name is Melissa Pollack, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 22 years of experience helping people of all ages. My clients presenting issues and challenges vary but include depression, anxiety, social skills, relationship issues, trauma and stress management. My clients describe me as supportive, caring, and real.

All people can heal, grow, and create positive change in their lives. My role as a therapist is to help you determine where you want to go and how to get there. My holistic approach is guided by meeting each client where they are at and choosing the most effective course of action. Whether we utilize CBT, DBT, ERP, ACT, talk therapy, or some other modality, I will make sure the therapeutic service you receive is tailored directly to your needs.

Life can be an unexpected wave in the water that makes you feel unsteady, or it can be a giant wave that overwhelms you, and it keeps coming, and it is hard to regain your sense of balance. But when a helping hand reaches out, it can help you to find your strength and balance. Whether it feels like a big or small wave, I can be that support and guidance so when the waves come, you can brace them and keep going. I believe in providing empathetic care and guidance through a collaborative therapeutic relationship by navigating the unique experiences that influence each client’s life.

In life, we face a myriad of transitions, which impact us throughout every decade of our journey. Such transitions often cause anxiety, depression and/or a sense of sadness, loneliness or loss of direction. We may wonder "who am I now" or "where do I belong". Life changes impact our relationships with romantic partners, our parents, our children and our friends. I specialize in working with people as they navigate life's transitions. I help clients to understand and make sense of what can bring greater satisfaction into their lives, with a focus on building more effective and adaptive coping skills.

The human experience can be challenging at times. One can encounter situations leading to feeling powerless, in pain, or stuck. At times, this can look like an individual ruminating in the past or experiencing levels of depression. Or possibly, one can also be worried about the future or experiencing anxiety levels. I value the autonomy that people have and their ability to problem solve. Yet, I also acknowledge that a constructive and intentional space could provide efficiency for individuals maneuvering through various situations. As a counselor, I intend to help you within this space and support you on your healing journey.

As a firm believer in the power of genuine human connection, the dynamic between my clients and I is of my highest priority. A professor and mentor once said, “The question should not be, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ But rather, ‘What has happened to you?’” This quote shapes every conversation I hold with my clients. I am dedicated to breaking down the stigma of traditional talk therapy, particularly for young folks, by empowering my clients to rewrite their own narrative and understand their neurological roots, to become the best version of themself, for themself, their relationships, and their future.

I specialize in helping clients holistically work through anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, work-life balance, marital/relationship issues, communication, and family of origin issues. Whether it is managing anxious symptoms, navigating inhibiting conflict, or even just tackling the stressors that come up in the day-to-day, I work with you to uncover your inherent strengths, and help you leverage them with quality strategies to achieve healthy, desired change. Each session, I collaborate with you to lift your biggest constraints, offer quality guidance, and provide the tools to connect with yourself and others more freely.

Life gets complicated. You may be trying all that you know how to do to make things better for yourself or for someone you love but have run out of energy, ideas or both. You may have a relationship with someone you love but just can't seem to get along. You may be a parent trying to best figure out how to help a child or teen who is having problems. You may feel burdened by sadness, fear or stress.Or, perhaps you have old wounds that seem to keep interfering with you creating the life you want.

My passion for being a Psychotherapist stems from the desire to help others reach their highest potential, no matter the obstacles in life. Individual therapy creates a confidential, caring, and safe environment that promotes self-discovery and growth. My philosophy aims to meet you where you are and to guide and support you by building hope, resiliency, and self–love. I will empower you by using therapeutic strategies that instill aspiration, courage, and progress. Couples treatment provides a safe and trusting environment where we can identify issues and achieve growth.

Sometimes even day to day activities can feel overwhelming. Whether you are a child just starting school, an adolescent going through changes, a young adult navigating being on your own for the first time, or a parent who is struggling with understanding your child, know that you are never alone. Taking that first step in asking for help and seeking out therapy is understandably difficult, even if it isn’t the first time, but can make a world of difference. Therapy is a way to better understand you and/or your child’s experiences, while also creating healthy coping skills, boundaries, and sense of self.

Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, confused, frustrated, discouraged, disappointed, lost, anxious, sad or angry, you are not alone. Most of us experience those feelings at some point in our lives. We care about the people we serve, and we believe every person is individual, authentic, and unique. We use evidence-based practice (EBP) methods for mental health to help children, pre-teens, teenagers, adults, couples, and families to live their best lives. We understand that therapy can seem scary and intimidating, though we know that finding the support you need is the key to starting the self- healing process.

Do you sometimes feel like you can't get beyond events that have happened in your life? Do you feel troubled or haunted by them despite your best efforts to move on? Are you withdrawn, unpredictable or irritable, releasing your feelings on the ones you love most. You may feel like you can't control your emotions or life. We work to help you understand what is happening in your brain and body that prevent you from digesting what has happened and to help you put it in the past, to move on. At The Juniper Center, we're helping you live your best life.

Life gets complicated. You have been trying all that you know how to do to make things better for yourself or for someone you love but have run out of energy, ideas or both. You may have a relationship with someone you love but just can't seem to get along. You may be a parent trying to best figure out how to help a child or teen who is having problems. You may feel burdened by sadness, fear or stress.Or, perhaps you have old wounds that seem to keep interfering with you creating the life you want.