Marriage Counseling Therapists in Evanston, IL

Maybe you are reading this because you want something to change in your life. It’s a daring step to reach out to a stranger and trust them. I know therapy can help. It has helped me in my life, and it has helped many of my clients over the years. I offer free consultations with clients before we begin because a good fit is important. Although I have worked in agencies, hospitals and group practices, I think some of my best training has come from navigating a 24 year marriage, raising kids, and launching them into adulthood. I enjoy helping people work through anxiety and depression and get their life back.

I specialize in couples counseling, family counseling, counseling with men, and premarital counseling. I help clients make meaning of their struggles, articulate their desires, and collaborate to reach their goals. I normalize and interpret conflict in terms of differences, identity, connection, and power issues. Intimacy and anger, stress and time constraints, are often the focus of our work together. I tend to be fairly transparent and strengths-focused. I also specialize in the integration of spirituality and psychotherapy.

Ajit Samudra is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in IL with over 20 years of experience helping children, teens, young adults, and families. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at Case Western Reserve University and completed his Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Indiana State University. Ajit also completed postgraduate studies at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Ajit has extensive experience working with children, youth, and families in community mental health and school settings. He has helped clients with a broad range of presenting problems, including school problems, ADHD, executive function, and emotion regulation difficulties. He has worked with clients exhibiting anxiety, depression, stress and anger management problems, adjustment to life transitions, self-esteem, and work/life balance in young adults. Ajit is a strong believer in collaborating with clients and families and using a systemic, multicultural lens to help clients cope with stressors and create positive change. He works with individuals, families and couples and enjoys working with clients from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

On the journey through life we ride the path through an ever changing landscape. We encounter both predictable challenges precipitated by typical life cycle events as well as the unpredictable and unexpected. Sometimes we veer off course, lose our way or hit a road block. Lifecycle Therapy provides the guidance needed to try a new path and find our way forward again.

My specialty is couple and family counseling, and of course, I also see individuals ages 12 and up. I have significant experience working with children and families who are involved with DCFS. I have helped families deal with issues such as divorce/re-marriage, and child abuse. I also enjoy working with parents who are re-thinking their parenting style and want to work towards a more satisfying relationship with their child(ren).

If you are experiencing marriage or relationship challenges, a difficult divorced co-parenting situation, or stressful parenting issues, there are powerful skills, and simple shifts in thinking that can give you relief and help you find peace. I believe that the challenges we face are not failures; rather they are opportunities to grow and mature into ourselves. I specialize in relationship work, couples work, divorced co-parenting issues, family relationship work, emotions work (anger issues, anxiety and grief) and individual self-growth, including life transitions. Through my work with high-conflict divorced co-parenting, I have developed tolerance, patience, compassion and skill for working with difficult and challenging relationship dynamics.

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.

We all work hard to take care of ourselves and build positive relationships, but sometimes obstacles get in our way. For more than 20 years, I have worked with people to identify and remove those obstacles, so that they can lead fuller and more joyful lives. You may be derailed by the loss of a job or relationship; feel depressed and not know why, or struggle as a parent. I work with individuals, couples and families to pinpoint your concerns and work toward change. My emphasis is on building honest, open relationships and on using insight to fuel change.

Welcome! I'm experienced in helping individual clients and couples address the barriers to the meaningful life they deserve. Whether it's anxiety, stress, panic, depression, a relationship or other concerns, I collaborate with clients to gain more insight and tools to gain relief. Clients often struggle to wade through "the noise" of everyday life to find the undercurrent of deeper meaning. Many feel lost. Allow me to join in you making sense of it. Through the years of doing this job, clients have continually inspired me in showing people's capacity for change. I am level three Gottman trained for couples and marriage counseling.

Are you and your partner considering the next step in your relationship? Are you heading into a second marriage and want to avoid mistakes made the first time around? Do you have concerns or feel stuck in a relational problem but don’t have the tools to communicate with your partner without it turning into an argument? I would love to work with you and your partner to recognize your thoughts, feelings, and needs so you can communicate them and respond in a productive and truthful way that will allow your relationship to flourish!

My advanced training in Marriage and Family Therapy and Sex Therapy provide me with the skills and experience necessary to help you meet your treatment goals. I strive to create a safe, non judgmental, compassionate context for clients to explore their struggles and maximize their growth potential. I work with individuals and couples with a range of presenting concerns, including, but not limited to: relationship distress, sexual functioning and satisfaction, lack of emotional and sexual intimacy, low sexual desire and/or pleasure and hypersexual behaviors ("sex addiction").

“I am accepting new clients. My goal is to help you better understand your thoughts, behaviors and relationships so you can build the life that you always wanted. I approach every client as a unique individual who needs compassion and care to achieve balance and learn the skills necessary for growth. “I believe in the strength of each individual, and their resiliency. I use humor and empathy as we work through difficult times in your life, and provide challenge to help you on your path. “I use an integrative approach, drawing from a psychodynamic and systems-based framework, mindfulness, CBT, DBT and trauma-informed treatment.

I have many years of counseling with individuals, couples, families and children. Creating a safe, welcoming space where healing, learning, growing can occur is essential for the therapeutic process which takes many forms, and is based on the needs of each person, couple or family. The therapeutic process is a shared journey and in my counseling role I help support and guide the process.

With over thirty years of experience, I love working with couples and individuals who are in all seasons of the life cycle - from young adulthood to later life. I specialize in helping people resolve complicated relationship issues and interpersonal problems. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results..." is a saying in 12 Step programs. If those words resonate with you, I will be glad to help you try to understand what your patterns are about and how to change them. I am especially sensitiveto understanding clients in their cultural and faith contexts.

I am a very experienced, energetic, interactive psychologist who listens carefully and empathically in order to assist in creating solutions to your life difficulties. For relationship difficulties-marital, pre-marital or employment based- I focus on previous and current relationship experiences to clarify expectations and characteristic modes of interacting that are unproductive and unrewarding. Treating anxiety, depression and low self-esteem and are my forte. I offer evening hours Monday-Thursday to accommodate hectic and demanding schedules.

As a senior hospital-trained psychologist, I enjoy providing insight-oriented care to individuals and families who are curious about how they contribute to their own difficulties in living. I also enjoy consulting on psycholegal matters and mentoring colleagues. I work with many successful people who are struggling in a particular area such as work or marriage. I enjoy working with people to find more meaning in their careers. I also have a subspecialization in addictions. I also use my behavior change expertise to address our addiction to oil and the preservation of our planet for future generations.

Therapy is a place to be with what hurts while stepping into being fully yourself. In the presence of a skillful, non-judgmental, compassionate therapist, you will have the opportunity to face these aspects of yourself so that new ways of living emerge.

Hi there! I’m Rachel (she/her) and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Trained in Integrative Systemic Therapy at Northwestern University, I am most passionate about working with couples and individuals (older teens, young adults, adults) presenting with various needs, concerns, and presentations. These include depression/anxiety, trauma, complex PTSD, attachment issues, codependency, life transitions, and relational conflict.

Using a mix of attachment theory, strategic therapy, and experiential approaches, you can be sure I will keep you engaged and motivated to show up to sessions where you will participate in more than just talk therapy. I obtained my master's degree in marriage and family therapy from Wheaton College and describe myself as a "systems thinker." I welcome the opportunity to meet with families, couples, or adult individuals. I also have a special interest in working with couples navigating ADHD, families with older children, and individuals struggling with codependency.