You have a hard time asking for help. You believe you should be able to do it all and if you are struggling it is because you aren't working hard enough. You work so hard to be the best mom, partner, daughter, friend, and professional. You feel the weight of the world on your shoulders and you feel like you can't breathe. You sacrifice your sleep, diet, and overall well-being for everyone else. You're starting to get resentful that others can make time for themselves, but you can't. You wonder how you look in the eyes of your partner, kids, and co-workers and if they can tell something has changed.

I support women who may have the plan, direction and tools to get reach their dreams, but still find themselves feeling unmotivated, stuck and caught in a loop of self sabotage. When we partner together, I empower them to overcome the obstacles that hold them back and help them walk confidently towards their dreams. I do this through a two step, results driven process which gives women a deep understanding of themselves and redirects their path in life.

I know that starting this process can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Using warmth, empathy, direct feedback and skill building I can help you more fully understand yourself and your relationships and therefore feel empowered to start living the life you want to live. While it is important to minimize daily struggles that get in the way of being fully present in your life and relationships, I firmly believe that healing comes from exploring how our past experiences have affected the ways in which we interpret and interact with our world in the present.

I support women and families through infertility, pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood. Additionally, I see women who are experiencing depression, anxiety, grief/loss & life transitions. I have had the honor of walking through this season, with all its highs and lows, alongside many patients, clients, and friends. We are complex, as people, often having many different emotions at once. I aim to help you find space for all of it.

You are undoubtedly tired of having the same argument over and over again without any resolution. Or your relationship may have lost it's spark and you really want it back! Perhaps you and your partner have different interests sexually and you want to work those out. Or, if there has been infidelity, you may want to repair, heal the wounds before you decide to end the relationship for good. For some, relationships just don't seem to work out and you want to figure out why. Whether you come alone or with your partner,We are here to help.

**ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS** Trudy, LPC, holds a Masters’ degree in Clinical Counseling from National Louis University. Trudy assists clients across the life-span, tailoring therapy to meet the specific needs of each individual. She approaches therapy with a holistic perspective, exploring the impact of stress on the mind, body, and spirit. She emphasizes the importance of establishing an open and trusting relationship with her clients. Her goal is to foster a sense of self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-acceptance that will ultimately lead clients to a more fulfilling life.

We are not our problems, we encounter them. With this in mind, I strive to create a therapeutic context in which a sense of safety, lack of judgement, and respect are a given but also where humor, creativity, and spontaneity can come into play. Our first engagement with therapy typically comes during times of crisis, or when confronted by one of life’s many challenges. The good, very hopeful news is that a willingness to seek supports during these more painful moments also creates great potential to gain skillsets fortifying the mind, spirit, and body for the long-term.

If you are struggling with challenges in your life, feeling your emotions are getting out of control, losing sleep, feeling anxious, even depressed, you can feel better and more in control of your life. Engaging in therapy can make a difference. My approach is supportive, collaborative, and interactive. I strive to create a non-judgmental, empowering environment in which you can explore aspects of your life and relationships, identify old patterns, and establish new, healthier ways of living.

Are you tired of feeling anxious and depressed? Do you have intrusive and/or brooding thoughts that may be connected to an old memory or issue that is hard to quiet? Are you tired of feeling miserable and would like to learn tangible and useful techniques that will help take the edge and, in some instances, eliminate these thoughts and feelings? If you are ready to make that change, are open minded to learning non-traditional therapeutic methods, then please reach out to me and we’ll get started! As of now, I am taking new clients with convenient Saturday and Sunday hours. I am providing teletherapy / Skype services.

Sometimes life can be challenging... therapy may help you to process experiences, memories, relationships, thoughts or feelings that cause discomfort or pain. Perhaps you lost your balance or have a longer term issue you need to manage. We recognize the importance of the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle for positive change; and our approach is client-centered and interpersonal, yet solution focused and evidenced based. We are very empathic therapists and our safe, confidential, and non-judgmental therapies will make it easier for you to explore your world.

It takes bravery, vulnerability and trust to ask for help and support. My goal is to provide a warm, authentic, compassionate and non-judgmental space where we can work together on your healing and personal growth. I am a therapist largely due to my own experiences with infertility, birth injury/trauma and maternal mental health and feel that my personal journey coupled with my education and training, provide a unique perspective when supporting you through yours. Whether you are struggling to conceive, mourning the loss of a pregnancy, recovering from a traumatic birth, or finding your footing as a new parent, I am here to help.

Sometimes children and adolescents feel sad, anxious, and overwhelmed by changing life situations, which may impact the development of their full academic, emotional and social potential. Sometimes a home can be a seat of conflict instead of refuge, because of stressful situations, such as divorce, financial difficulties, or stage-of-life changes. Understanding and working through the complex emotional issues confronting children, adolescents and their families is the focus of my training and my practice. Our goal in treatment is empowerment through strategies that build resilience, strength and hopeful perspectives.

" I believe it is important to work collaboratively with clients, offering hope and guidance in addressing and resolving problems of living. I assist individuals, couples and families to feel happier and more in control of their lives by engaging them sensitively, with due attention to each person's unique circumstances and personal strengths. Providing education about mental health issues and feedback about the successes and failures of the various solutions that clients have tried are central to my approach."

My clinical work is focused on perinatal care as it relates to women's mental health, postpartum depression, transition to parenthood, grief/loss, fertility issues, adoption, anxiety disorders, and couples counseling. I completed my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Adler University in Chicago. Now, I am in my last year of my Ph.D. in counseling education and supervision. I am a researcher in counseling women of collectivist cultures, specifically Middle Eastern women. My research explores mental health concerns related to women in general as well as societal concerns, such as acculturation.

You are "good enough." Good enough as yourself, as a mom, partner, friend, daughter, and colleague. You are worthy of a life full of self-love, purpose and fulfillment. You deserve not merely to survive, but to flourish. It is not in spite of, but because of our struggles that I believe we all have the capacity within each of us to flourish. Showing up as your brave self today is a huge step in making yourself a priority.

I am an experienced psychotherapist and I work with clients from diverse backgrounds. I have extensive experience working with clients who are adult children of alcoholics and helping clients who have suffered a loss(es) and seek bereavement counseling. I also work with adults and youths who have both depression and anxiety, including panic attacks and phobias. I offer specific strategies to combat anxiety and panic attacks. My particular expertise has been working with parents and their children. Other areas of practice are sexual abuse and domestic violence.

One of the most exciting, yet challenging times in life is when we find ourselves in a transition: a new career, new relationship, a loss or even a general desire to do something differently than before. I believe change can be productive and empowering. At a Clearer Mind, LLC the intent is to partner with you to help you better understand your challenge and find some resolve. Through traditional, client-centered outpatient psychotherapy, the goal for each client is empowerment; to have the understanding and strength to confront life's challenges and transitions with more clarity than before.

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS!!! I grew up overseas where I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I pursued my dreams and moved to Illinois where I received my master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Illinois University. For as long as I remember, I have always loved helping people and just being an active listener. Eventually, choosing therapy as a career came as a second nature to me. As a therapist, I have worked in hospitals, residential care as well as outpatient behavioral care settings, working with a range of clients/patients from children to older adults living with a variety of mental issues.

Very rarely in our lives are we given the opportunity and the space to truly look at ourselves, where we have been, and the person we are looking to become. At Kate Giandonato & Associates, we create an environment where you can safely look at yourself, relationships, and potential barriers to achieving your goals. Our relationship-based training in Social Work + Child Development has given us the background to notice and work through the conflicting messages, thoughts and emotions present not only in the parent-child relationship, but in every relationship. We work with our clients to better understand and negotiate these most important relationships.

I believe that therapy is at its heart about change. That can be a change in our behavior, thoughts, and in the ways we talk to ourselves. I bring a kind, non-judgmental approach to therapy, focusing on building safety for my clients as we work together to identify where change is most needed. As a queer, multiracial, South Asian woman, I understand how all aspects of our lives play into our experience of the world. I am committed to bringing an anti-racist, anti-oppressive framework into therapy.