Therapists in Westchester, IL

In the words of James Hillman: “If the oak is in the acorn - what’s in you?” Are you struggling with self-esteem, self-worth, or self-compassion? Are you feeling as if the pain and challenges you experience are hindering you from feeling whole and reaching your true potential? If so, I am here for you on your journey toward wellness. I believe each individual is a whole and multidimensional being, and I strive to provide services that help individuals realize and unlock the wisdom and healing potential that already lies dormant within them. I am here to help you grow and change in ways that are adaptable for you.

As a Gender and Certified Sex Therapist, I work with folks like you feeling anxious and lost about a transition you're experiencing in sex, gender, sexual identity, or relationships. I'm here to help folks move from surviving to thriving.

Whether you have specific goals in therapy, or are simply struggling to keep your head above water, therapy can be a space to slow down and allow yourself the opportunity to sit with your experiences and feelings. I love working with queer and trans folks, people exploring their gender and sexuality for the first time, as well as people with Autism and ADHD, and people who are exploring the possibility that they may be neurodivergent. I also enjoy working with people with complex trauma histories, religious trauma, complicated family dynamics, as well as people struggling with anxiety and mood disorders.

Feeling anxious, stressed or depressed? Many people are overwhelmed these days. There is help.

Highly productive psychotherapy can take many forms, including targeted, evidence-based interventions as well as more dynamic, long-term approaches. I tend to use a mix of present-centered skills, specific techniques, open dialogue, collaboration, and insight-building to identify and disrupt problematic cycles that are acting as barriers to living a healthy, thriving, values-driven life. What's most important is that we find an approach that helps you safely explore new ways of approaching your life and relating to your sense of self, others, and the world.

Sometimes it feels like life is just working against us. You may feel overwhelmed, lost, stressed, numb, or disconnected from the people and things in your life that you care about the most—including yourself. Together, we will strengthen and expand your capacity to be with, and work through, the challenges that come your way, while building self-compassion, mindfulness, and a sense of connection to your truest, most whole self. As we explore your experiences and current coping strategies, you can gain meaningful insight, discover which approaches are no longer serving you, and unlock the ability to make more intentional choices.

I currently see clients who are wanting to work through sexual trauma, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, ADHD/executive functioning challenges, Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs), and gender/sexual identity topics. I also work with clients in ethically non-monogamous relationship structures. I have experience working with folks in the kink community and am a sex-worker friendly clinician. I am a good fit for clients that appreciate structure, evidence-based approaches, and collaborative treatment plans that include homework/work outside of sessions.

I specialize in working with the LGBTQ community. I work with folks around trauma healing, gender and sexual identity exploration, developing healthy conflict and attachment styles (poly and kink affirming,) combating addiction, and building sincere connection to self and others. I center my practice around queer theory, feminist theory and critical race theory. I always aim to recognize any power dynamic in a therapeutic alliance and work towards cultivating a space that is egalitarian. Finding balance and stability through struggle is a primary focus of mine in my practice.

I work with adults & couples from different walks of life. As a holistic practitioner, I’ve come to understand it’s a different dance for each person when working towards embodying their voice, choice, authenticity & self-acceptance. I take into consideration your experiences relationally and with systems and how that may impact the relationship to your inner landscape. My identities are: 1st gen Vietnamese immigrant, non-binary, queer, polyamorous & ex-catholic. These identities have shaped the way I move in the world while inspiring me to continue being curious and going outside of the box when I work with each unique human.

You are seeking a safe space to share your unfiltered emotions, thoughts, and desires. You are seeking an unbiased perspective to your situation and issues. You may yearn for human connection, compassion, and unrelenting support in your journey. You value consistency. You want to heal from trauma from the past and use this information to cope with the unpredictable future.

From my own personal journey, I have a passion for working with those confronting uncertainties around their sense of identity and how they express themselves. These uncertainties may be from issues related to gender identity and sexuality, difficulties with body image, or feeling lost in the transitional stages of life. I deeply value understanding the unique background of every individual and how the intersectionality of various identities impacts the equally unique nature of everyone's lived experiences. I believe this understanding is the key to developing an effective approach to finding and living as our most authentic selves.

I believe in taking a warm, nonjudgmental, collaborative approach to therapy; I truly believe that you are the expert of your experience and I am here to help as a coach and support you in reaching your goals. I approach therapy as both an art and a science; the art of human connection and the science of evidenced-based therapies such as CBT, DBT and ACT that have been proven to work. I am also a social worker at heart and like to bring in understanding of our society to help people of color, LGBTQ+ folks and other marginalized communities feel empowered to navigate and cope with the impact of these systems of today's world.

Picture our sessions as friendly conversations on the journey to personal growth and self-compassion. Whether you're a kid discovering the world, a teen navigating the complexities of adolescence, or a young adult facing life's twists and turns, I'm here to support you. My approach is about fostering a relaxed atmosphere, ensuring that our time together feels comfortable and tailored to your unique needs. While I'm here to help with a variety of challenges, my main focus is assisting clients with their anxiety, depression, and trauma. We'll explore strategies to navigate life's hurdles with resiliency and a realistic mindset.

Sab is a trauma-informed therapist who works to create a collaborative space in which to seek wellness, pleasure, and liberation. They believe in supporting and empowering folx in navigating life’s troubles with recognition of systems of oppression, misinformation, shame and stigma. Sab is a creative community activist with a passion for expressive arts, dedication to racial justice, and commitment to their own shadow work regarding the use and impact of their whiteness.

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.

I am an art therapist & counselor who supports humans across the lifespan, providing services to children, teens, and adults of any age. My approach is genuine, relational, collaborative, responsive to your needs, and always with a lens on how the world around us impacts our mental health and access to resources. Many people come to therapy because they feel stuck in their story. I am curious to know yours and to help you strengthen your ability to envision other ways of living. I use an anti-oppressive lens in my work and value anti-racism, disability justice, community, and gender-affirming approaches to care.

Individuals and relationships are dynamic; you may have received messages from people in the world that have you questioning parts of yourself. Integrating authentic, complex parts of yourself can help you feel more full and move you towards meaning and vitality. I provide a warm grounded environment to help you explore your unique experiences and identities with self-compassion and curiosity, even if what you are feeling is overwhelming or hard to talk about.

As human beings, we all have a need to be seen, heard, and understood. Our relational needs are particularly important when in a place of struggle. As your therapist, I will strive to hold space, offer safety and relational connection as you reimagine and change your relationship with yourself, others, and the world around. I am experienced and passionate about working with individuals, groups, and queer couples. Areas of focus include LGBTQ identity work, becoming an anti-racist, embodiment, substance use, spiritual trauma, interpersonal and internal conflict, and anxiety.

You may be feeling curious or unclear about how you want to show up in this world. In your past, you may not have had access to a space where you’ve felt valued and empowered to do this exploration work. Yet alone, have someone to guide you through this process of unraveling systemic oppression and societal expectations. In our work, we’ll address those associated fears or anxieties you have related to showing up as all of you. You deserve to move through this journey of discovery with ease, and I am passionate about providing you with that support.