Teletherapy for Illinois

Who you are… straight, transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, genderqueer, questioning… is an essential part of our work together. I welcome your whole self, supporting traditional and non-traditional families: blended, multiracial, multigenerational, foster, poly, leather, and members of kink communities. Therapy promotes healing, growth, and change. We'll focus together to understand your thoughts and behaviors. Our work together will help you develop new coping skills. Growth happens by reinforcing your strengths and values, increasing your self-awareness, and help you build a tolerance for distress and ambiguity.

I help adults overcome issues related to anxiety disorders, OCD, specific phobias, hoarding, BFRBs, disordered eating, addictions, depression, personality disorders, PTSD and traumatic stress. As a certified EMDR therapist, with extensive training in cognitive behavioral therapies, I work collaboratively with clients to increase insight and understanding of thoughts, foster skills to better manage urges and unwanted behaviors, cultivate acceptance of feelings and emotions, connect to the present moment of their day-to-day lives, and commit to actions that take them closer to the things in life that give them a sense of purpose.

I have been able to work closely with children, adolescents, and adults to treat a wide variety of concerns ranging from mood and developmental disorders, chronic pain, substance abuse, trauma, hoarding, family stress, academic distress, and academic avoidance. I am dedicated to providing a safe environment for clients in the LGBTQIA+ community, those who hold multiple identities, and those who have a diverse cultural background. I strive to support others to examine how these identities may impact the way they interact with the world around them.

Dr. Pojas works with adolescents and adults with anxiety-related disorders and obsessive compulsive related disorders. She provides evidence-based treatments, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure response prevention (ERP). Her specializations include OCD, Hoarding Disorder, and anxiety disorders.

There are so many things outside of our control that are inevitably difficult to cope with. Even with the unforeseen situations and stressors that life throws our way, the one thing we do have control over is the way we respond to them. However, it is difficult to know how to respond when we are experiencing fear, anxiety, and other heightened emotions. I want to help people strengthen their coping capabilities in an environment that is open, non-judgmental, and collaborative. My goal is to provide support to individuals, couples, and families tackling every day and life stressors with more confidence, hope, self-empowerment.

My clients struggle with navigating internal politics at work, workplace bullying and anxiety, feeling trapped in an unfulfilling career, experiencing write-ups, termination(s), or performance improvement plans (PIPs), lack of self-belief or self-worth, negative relationships with money, and burnout and exhaustion. I also have clients that struggle with organizing, hoarding, and the anxiety that comes along with the attachment we place on our physical things.

The therapeutic relationship is one of the most important factors in creating an environment for individuals to feel safe being vulnerable. I have experience working with adults of all ages experiencing life transitions, anxiety, depression, family conflict, abuse or neglect, grief, and loss. I specialize in working with older adults and their families who might be experiencing caregiver stress and burnout, hoarding issues, challenges related to dementia or other chronic illness, and end-of-life planning. I believe that everyone can benefit from therapy and it is never too late to begin one’s own journey of healing.

My career as a therapist has afforded me opportunities to work with individuals from all walks of life. I immigrated to the United States from Kiev, Ukraine and feel intimately familiar with the challenges faced by all of the groups I mentioned. I am able to work with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families and treat a wide variety of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, adjustment difficulties, grief / loss, relationship problems, family conflict, and addiction. I am proud member of Chicagoland’s Ukraine Community and am fluent in the Russian and Ukrainian languages.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me! My ideal clients are looking for a strength-based approach where they are more than a "psychiatric diagnosis." My clients come from many backgrounds - they are children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families - and are dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, women’s issues, anger management, ADHD, autistic spectrum disorder, addiction issues, couples therapy, and working through LGBTQ+ issues. I partner with my clients in the change process and empower them through using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and other tailored approaches.

I believe that dealing with stressful situations can become tough and overwhelming. But, I also believe that you have the ability – with professional guidance – to unlock your own potential and solve the problems that are holding you back from a more fulfilling life. My role is to partner with you in change, create specific and achievable goals, and work together in lock-step to help you reach your full potential. My ideal client has been suffering from anxiety, depression, relationship problems, immigration and acculturation issues, LGBTQIA+, burnout, trauma, and substance abuse and is looking to make a change for the better.

I specialize in the treatment of behavioral health disorders for motivated clients who are interested in collaborating and working to attain their goals. We will work together, primarily focused on the current situation and its solution, rather than the past. Through scientifically- supported methods, we will concentrate on your views and beliefs about your life, and how they are tied to your behaviors and emotions.

I am delighted you found me here on Psychology Today. My ideal client comes from many different walks of life - children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. My ideal client is looking for change and a therapist that is going to "shoot straight" with them and do more than just nod their head in agreement. My ideal client is looking for direction and change in their lives and wants a partner in change. I work with my ideal client on anxiety, major depression, trauma, couples counseling, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), and substance abuse, and LGBTQIA+ issues.

If you're struggling with relationship issues, life transitions, or if you're facing a big life decision, I can help! We'll work together to help you face these challenges head on. I have advanced training in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship concerns. My approach is strengths-based and designed to help my clients identify and remove barriers keeping them from living their best lives possible.

My professional background includes working with a wide variety of clients from children to older adults. I have provided mental health and substance abuse outpatient counseling including individual, group and family therapy. I have worked with a broad range of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, adjustment difficulties, grief and loss, relationship problems, family conflict, mood disorders, personality disorders, psychosis, thinking disorders, codependency, domestic violence, self-esteem, women’s issues, spirituality, chronic illness, chronic pain, dual diagnosis, and addictions.

My ideal client is any human struggling with the present moment, any human suffering.

My ideal client comes from many walks of life. They are children, teenagers, and adults and present with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, relationship and family problems, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), school problems, and oppositional-defiant disorder. They all share a common need to be heard, empowered, and guided on the path of recovery. I provide evidence-based treatments tailored to the needs of my clients. I focus on strengths and capabilities rather than "illness."

I discover objectively what is the issue, applying the best treatment for abuse, aging, alcohol/substance use, anger, anxiety, attention deficit, autism spectrum disorders, bereavement, cancer, career consultation, coping, criminal charges, custody, delinquency, dementia, depression, divorce, DUI, dyslexia, hyperactivity, hypnosis, individualized education plans, insomnia, job loss, learning disability, lower productivity, neuropsychological exams, panic attacks, parenting, personal injury, personality tests, post automobile accident, relationships, stress, trauma, TBI, underachievement, vocational guidance, workers compensation.

The ups and downs of everyday life can not only cause you uncertainty and exhaustion but can also make individuals feel stuck with what to do next. This can lead to us doubting our self-worth and our ability to live a more fulfilling life. As a therapist, I am here to meet you where you are at in this moment. I want to lend you a listening ear and provide you comfort in knowing that you have my full support. Any consistent nervousness or doubts will be met with kindness and patience as we work together to help navigate how to make your life more enjoyable.

I strive to use interventions that meet the specific needs of my clients in a safe, comfortable, and nonjudgmental way. I often use a cognitive-behavioral approach (CBT) in psychotherapy as I help my clients adjust and overcome maladaptive thinking patterns and behaviors. I also utilize dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and other therapeutic modalities as a way of teaching clients important coping techniques to manage their stress and navigate their challenges. My goal is to help my clients learning healthy ways of living and a positive mindset to overcome challenges.