Therapists in Illinois

Hi, my name is Kristen Kasperek and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois and a National Certified Counselor. I have 8 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples in individual and group settings. I worked as a Psycho Social Rehabilitation Therapist for quite some time where I became certified in OCD as well as PTSD. I have vast experience working with those who suffer from chronic mental illness including Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, depression, and anxiety. I also have a wealth of experience working with those struggling with self-esteem, self-worth, poor relationships, and grief. I enjoy providing support in a variety of ways to my clients to help remind them of how important they are. I currently work with undergraduate and graduate students helping them to discover their true selves through the help of MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory and putting that into play by aiding them in selecting individually appropriate degree programs. I have learned in my years as a Career Counselor that people often stay in ill fitting jobs because they don't see a way out. I love nothing more than to help someone recognize their passion and guide them towards making it a reality. I enjoy assisting my clients with self discovery, the job search process, as well as resume and cover letter development, interview preparation, and negotiation tactics. No matter where you are in your life, I believe you should be doing what you love and I want to help you get there. My approach is to develop a relaxed, non-threatening, and non-clinical professional relationship with my clients. I recognize that the first step to a better life is often the most difficult. I help my clients with that first step and the path that follows. Together, we develop individualized strategies that produce results and lead to a more fulfilling life. In terms of my education, I earned my Master's Degree in Community Counseling with a focus in Mental Illness as well as Career Counseling. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. If you are searching for direction, inner peace, or need help getting past an obstacle in your personal or professional life, I would welcome the opportunity to work with you.

Often times, a crisis occurs when a client experiences a duality between his or her inner world and the external environment in which he or she lives in. This client may be going through a life transition related to loss of a loved one, job loss, aging, or even changes in health conditions. He or she may even be struggling internally to make a decision more aligned with their authentic selves such as gender, relationship styles, and vocational interests. The goal for this client is to achieve quality of life and fulfillment without denying himself or herself of his or her true identity and human condition. Being an artist, I use creativity when interacting with clients. My approach is a mix of talk therapy, strength-based approaches, and alternative techniques such as play, art-making, and meditation. My role as a therapist is to provide a safe, validating space for the client. The goal is to assist clients in finding and designing their own individual blueprint for building a quality life for themselves.

Hello, my name is Sheila Funk-Jansen. I am a licensed clinical therapist in Iowa and Illinois. I graduated with my MSW in social work in 2003 from University of Missouri-Columbia. I have worked with a variety of courageous people in my journey to help them be more vulnerable, brave, and resilient. For the last 25+ years, I I have worked with people experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, family conflicts, and many other areas of life. I believe people have the resiliency to move the barriers that life presents to us. Life is all about learning. Learning about ourselves and giving up our comforts in life are scary even if they are unhealthy. Each person is unique and I am here to start where you are at in your journey. I utilize therapy approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution Focus Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing along with utilizing other modalities. The client and therapist's alliance is crucial in providing a safe, non judgmental space to be open and vulnerable to see their potential and resiliency to grow when experiencing hurt and pain. I see people through the week along with some weekends. I work with schedules as much as I can to help get people in sooner when needed. I look forward in working with you. Sheila

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with over 16 years of experience in the mental health field. I specialize in counseling individuals experiencing a wide range of issues, including severe mental illness, trauma, depression anxiety and relational issues. I am passionate about working with individuals who are are struggling with co-occurring disorders and those who are need of support with daily life challenges or events. I have a wholistic approach to therapy and draw from the various modalities , including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy and dialectal behavioral therapy (DBT), in an effort to meet the need of each individual. Through the collaborative process of therapy, Through the therapeutic process, I will help to guide you to increase self-awareness, gain new perspectives, decrease symptoms, and increase personal strengths to have a more meaningful life experience. By using the power of the therapeutic relationship, I strive to create a nurturing environment and foundation to help clients heal, rebuild their lives and increase their resiliency. In every session, I use therapy as a way to nurture, challenge, support and understand clients. Healing can occur within a safe and trusting relationship.

Grace Hobson was born and raised in the South Suburbs of Chicago. Grace attended Saint Xavier University, in Chicago, Illinois and majored in Psychology. In 2009, Grace received a Bachelor of Science degree. Afterwards, she got accepted in the graduate program at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology (Argosy University), Chicago campus. At Argosy, Grace decided to study Counseling. During her graduate work, she did an early internship at Calumet Counseling, where she provided treatment plans and counseling for individuals with substance abuse related issues. She finished up her internship field work at Unity Parenting and Counseling where she provided counseling for individuals with HIV/AIDS. In 2013, Grace received a Masters of Arts degree in Community Counseling. Grace has provided therapy to victims of domestic violence, human trafficking , persons with histories of various trauma. Grace is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. Grace specializes in issues surrounding anxiety, depression, death, grief and loss. Grace's overall goal in counseling is to build a great working relationship with you and to give you the interpersonal tools you need to be be well and effective. Grace understands that navigating the planet earth is scary. Counseling and therapy can help you develop a personal map that works for you! Grace's counseling approach overall is psycho dynamic. Psychodynamic Therapy Psychodynamic therapy focuses on self-awareness of the patient's actions and behaviors. Psychodynamic therapy is like CBT in that it works to understand how beliefs, thoughts, behavior, and emotions are interconnected. However, it focuses on the unconscious beliefs and emotions that tend to trigger the negative thoughts, emotions, and behavior, rather than conscious, automatic thoughts that occur in initial reaction to situations. (Betterhelp.com, 2020) Grace's style is very warm, positive, energetic and caring. One of her life time goals is to provide affordable and confidential mental health services to those who may not have traditional access to mental health providers.

I am an LCSW and I work with young-adult clients, aged 18-35 years old. This is a very unique period of life, when one is solidifying their identity and trying to forge a path into their future. Life goals often include establishing a meaningful relationship, career, friendships, passions, hobbies and overall wellness. I love to help young adult clients understand how their past can contribute to challenges, but also how they can move forward in their life and use their experiences to find purpose. I empower clients with skill-building, such as re-framing, gratitude and self-care so they can live a more vibrant and fulfilling life.

I strive to take the stigma, fear, and jargon out of addressing your mental health needs. Helping others is my passion and I am grateful you have the courage to reach out for help. My goal is to empower you to process your emotions, view your thoughts and actions in a more productive manner, and have fulfilling relationships. Let's focus on your strengths not your problems/concerns. Finding a therapist you trust and “click with” is critical, not all therapists are right for you. Take your time and ask questions. Therapy must be tailored to you! I am a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified rehabilitation counselor with 12 years of experience as a hospital-based outpatient counselor (rehabilitation, mental health, substance use). I have a broader strengths-focused perspective on chronic disability and related systems/processes. I have helped individuals adapt to new disability (i.e. serious mental health, multiple sclerosis), adjust to many life struggles and circumstances (i.e. anxiety, divorce), cope with serious mental illness (i.e. schizophrenia), maintain substance use recovery, and generally work toward optimal life functioning (i.e. improved relationships and school/work accomplishment). I use client-centered and top-down Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solutions-Focused Brief Therapy with motivational enhancement and positive psychology/mindfulness techniques. I'm trained in Gottman Method for marriage relationship counseling. I am training to become more experienced in bottom-up techniques to better support clients with trauma (such as somatic experiencing) I am married with a blended family with 4 children, one child on the autism spectrum. I am a 24 year Veteran of the U.S. Army and well versed in military/veterans culture and VA healthcare.

Has the COVID-19 create anxieties or other mental health challenges for you? Do you need a safe place to share your thoughts and feelings? I am a licensed clinician, who would love to be able to meet 1:1 with you to address your mental health needs. I truly believe in shared decision-making approach to therapy. I approach therapy from a collaborative approach, building relationships, and using evidence-based practice. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Work as well as a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist. I’ve been working in behavioral health since 2003. I have experience in providing individual, group, and family counseling. I have been trained in CBT Therapy, ACT Therapy, DBT Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focus therapy, harm reduction model, Gestalt therapy, and other evidence-based model. Preference: I prefer to work with adults ages 19 and above. I help people with dealing with all types of transitioning, life stressors brought on by relocating, career changes, new mothers, balancing work and life, relationships building, grief and loss, and setting boundaries.

I am licensed in Illinois with 15 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I am licensed in Illinois with 24 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, depression, coping with addictions, trauma and abuse, coping with grief and loss, and self-esteem issues. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialogue and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs and goals. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started! I look forward to talking with you!