Therapists in Crystal Lake, IL

In our search for meaning, we find ourselves at the crossroads of doubt, despair, confusion, sadness, and hatred. The truth is... there's HOPE & HELP available out there. Please allow me to JOURNEY with YOU in finding TRUTH in doubt, HOPE in despair, UNDERSTANDING in confusion, JOY in sadness, LIGHT in darkness and ultimately PEACE and LOVE in hatred.

Our experienced team of therapists has been helping clients achieve their best self, better relationships, and a more balanced life since 2012. The more common struggles we help clients overcome are anxiety and depression, trauma and PTSD, relationship problems, and parenting challenges. If you have been wrestling with these or other issues, we are here to help. We work with older kids (8+), adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Most of our therapists are EMDR trained (EMDRIA approved) and also use other effective approaches including CBT, DBT, and systemic approaches.

Our life's work is helping clients achieve a better sense of self and happiness...more recently we've recognized that without good mental health providers, finding this balance in life can be more difficult and stressful. As a result, we tend toward an Integrative approach and help our clients transform into the people they want to be. We see each client as an individual with many parts to their identity. Utilizing a holistic and systemic approach we help clients reintegrate the parts of themselves to function better as individuals and within their systems. Our focus tends toward a systems based approach using behavior methods.

Possibly one of the most overlooked yet effective approaches to taking care of yourself is the simple act of listening–listening to yourself, listening to your body, and having someone you trust listening to you. Listening is where I like to start – to ensure that before anything else, I take the time to understand who you are. Each individual takes a unique path and one of my goals is to embrace that in a collaborative and open treatment experience. I take a nonjudgmental and empowering approach to ensure that my clients are strengthening their sense of self while acknowledging the past and present challenges.

I believe we’re naturally good and unfortunately taught to feel shame, worthlessness, inadequacy, and the ideas of “bad” and “wrong”. I’m dedicated to providing a non-judgmental environment to support clients, explore their situations, and achieve their goals. I strive to hear and understand your feelings, past and current experiences, as well as to provide information and new coping strategies to help you deal with your concerns, difficulties, and struggles. We will sort out what’s going on in your life and sort it out together.

I work best with BIPOC and/or queer individuals who are coping with mood, trauma, and sociopolitical struggles. My primary approach focuses on empowering individuals of marginalized communities to externalize systemic and oppressive factors so that we can focus on treating any personal difficulties that are causing you pain and suffering. Whether we focus on the past or the present, healing one part of yourself can heal many other parts because you have a story to tell. And no matter how many times or how many ways that you tell it, it is your own personal story. Let's change your story to help you become the person you want to be.

Life can be hard and having a counselor who truly hears you is life changing. You deserve to feel amazing and we're experts at making that a reality. As a niche based practice we have counselors that can help you navigate challenges in life & love. We have expertise in break-ups/divorce recovery, anxiety/stress, grief & loss, post-college transitions, trauma, relational discord, self-esteem, ADHD, non-traditional relationships and LGBTQ+. Our strength lies in walking with you through difficult transitions quicker and with more ease, insight and coping. We love supporting our clients because our life's work is to improve yours.

I want to take a second to acknowledge how brave you are for seeking therapy. If you are reading this, I hope you feel encouraged by your decision to receive support and grow as a person. It takes a lot of courage to share your story and experiences to a stranger! I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a BSc (Hons) in Psychological Studies in Singapore. I also have an MA in Mental Health Counseling at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) in Deerfield, Illinois. Additionally, I am a certified Illinois Domestic Violence Professional (ICDVP).

Are you done struggling with anxiety, depression, and relationships? Are you ready to feel fully yourself and alive again? Are you ready to build the life you want to live? My first goal when meeting with you is to establish a genuine & collaborative connection. This'll serve as the foundation for the work necessary to deal with daily feelings, understand experiences & make positive changes to your life. We'll work together to help you feel whole, peaceful, and connected. When you're done with therapy, you'll feel empowered and ready to face whatever challenges life throws at you. I can help you live your passion, purpose & truth.

I work primarily with QT/BIPOC folks navigating concerns around past trauma, (acute and complex), their racial identity and how it intersects with other identities, their relationship with their bodies, and connection to their community. In particular I work with biracial/multi-racial folks navigating their racial identity development. I work with folks who have eating disorder and body image concerns and use a HAES approach. I work with trans/non-binary folks around embodiment, and their relationships with their bodies, food, and body image.

The clients who are the best fit for my clinical approach tend to be people who want to build a stronger sense of self, learn how to center their own needs and set boundaries, and are open to inner child healing. The clients I work with want to change their relationship with themselves to be more compassionate and nurturing. They are recovering people pleasers, people who want to learn how to be more assertive, often have unresolved trauma, and are ready to break cycles in order to establish new patterns. They seek support from me to discuss dating, relationships, sex, childhood traumas, identity, and healing from abuse and neglect.

Regardless of the successes, you still have moments when you feel like a failure. If you’re someone who holds yourself to high standards, you might feel frustrated by how you get in your own way from succeeding. If you struggle with the combination of perfectionism and procrastination, counseling can help. I provide direct, interactive feedback with an anti-systemic racism perspective designed to help you stay accountable to your goals.

My purpose is to do work to create change that is sustainable. A change that has space for complexity, reparation, and relating through difference. I have a plan, an offering, and a vision that I want to share with others to improve their quality of life. I want to help those that struggle with and question whether what they are doing matters. As a psychotherapist, the goal is for my clients to tap into their own power to create a positive change for themselves, while also helping to create a world that praises the uniqueness of each person and where humility and compassion are a given.

I am currently accepting clients for in-person and telehealth! As a queer, Filipino-American, I have special interest and experience working with BIPOC, First-Generation Americans, and LGBTQIA+ living with trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship distress, or difficult life transitions. It takes great strength and vulnerability to ask for help and to let someone in on our journey when we’re not sure they’ll understand us. I value the importance of the relationship between therapist and client. Your experiences deserve to be honored with care, empathy, and understanding and YOU deserve to feel heard, safe, and accepted.