Hello! Thanks for checking out my profile! I have been a practicing psychotherapist for 5 years, working in a community mental health agency in Chicago. I'm originally from Wisconsin, but have an adventurous spirit that keeps taking me elsewhere!! I'm happy to have the chance to provide therapy to those that may not have the time or energy to go sit in someone's office for an hour a week! Working in community mental health, I've helped individuals address a variety of mental health and environmental problems, such as life stressors, anxiety, depression, attention issues, family conflicts, parenting support, etc. In addition, the context of this work was with low-income families who had limited resources and high stress in meeting their families' needs. As human beings, we are never dealing with one thing at a time, and I believe as a therapist, it's important to understand the nuances of how someone's symptoms, environment, and other stressors interact in order to provide the best therapy. I approach each of these issues with a very empathic ear, and learned what I could about the individual in order to provide the best care possible. I take a very strong psycho-educational approach, helping clients to understand the patterns that are ineffective for them, and helping them to develop and understand coping skills, what their function is, and how to utilize them effectively. I believe that the more empowered we are, the more control we can take over our own reactions to stressors and symptoms, and the bigger impact we can have on our own mental health. Thanks for listening, and if you like what you hear, let's talk! I'd love to meet you and support you in the best way that I can!!

Hello! I applaud you for taking this step to move forward in your life seeking alternative solutions and support. My name is Luanne Maniacek and I have over 25 years of experience helping those motivated who struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions or those of family members, co-dependency, and care giving concerns. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Illinois and Certified Alcohol and Drug Addictions Counselor, I’ve worked successfully with a wide spectrum of age groups, cultural back grounds, sexual orientation, and beliefs. I also have experience supervising graduate level therapist interns and therapist counselors working in community mental health centers as well as leading crisis intervention teams. My approach to therapy is strength based. I’d like to help you identify and capitalize on your strengths and find ways create new resources and skills in order to overcome your struggles. I use Interpersonal and Humanistic Modalities of treatment. For those struggling with addictions, I encourage either a disease model or harm reduction, whichever is clinically appropriate. My style is empathic and supportive, yet I'll challenge you at times, to promote your growth and movement towards positive change and success. I’m highly skilled at Motivation Interviewing and "listening between the words." In working with you, my first priority is coming to a complete understanding of your perspective, struggles, history, style, expectations, goals, and needs in therapist. Moving forward, open communication about your progress is vital, essential, and ongoing. Let’s get started working together!

Hello! Thank you for choosing to read my profile. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois with experience serving a wide variety of populations. I teach Introduction to Counseling and Introduction to Social Work (wrote the text for that class) at a local community college. I have been a Board Member of NASW (National Association of Social Workers) and am an instructor for the Licensure Exam Preparation Class. I received my Master of Social Work degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Although I draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches, I do lean heavily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. I also incorporate effective communication strategies and provide support in identifying additional resources outside of our time together. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to the possibility of working with you. Cheri Sinnott Springer, LCSW

Hello. Do you find yourself struggling with something you feel like no one else will understand, or perhaps there is no one you can confide in for fear of being judged? Keeping things bottled up creates interpersonal conflict, affects our relationships, and hinders the ability to change.  I believe that individuals want to be heard and understood, all the while respecting their unique differences.  My name is Alisa Cates, LCPC and I have been licensed in the State of Illinois since 2013.  I have worked in a variety of settings including community mental health agencies, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programming, corrections, and private practice treating a broad range of issues such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, life transitions, relationship and family issues, self-esteem, anger management, stress management, interpersonal conflict, and career planning.   I would appreciate the opportunity to assist you as you move forward in this ever- changing life and believe that building a strong rapport with my clients is the fundamental aspect which promotes growth and change.  I practice from a person-centered approach and integrate treatment modalities most beneficial to each client including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical-Behavior Therapy. I look forward to meeting you and discussing what's on your mind!

Hi, I am Lynn Ford. I am a licensed clinical social worker who utilizes a variety of evidenced based strategies to provide you with the tools you require to address your treatment goals. My belief is that therapy should be client-driven and goal oriented. I have over a decade of experience working with people of all ages, including children, but my focus has recently been on 18-45 year olds with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, ADHD and communication issues in regards to relationships and parenting. I strive to provide a safe, non-judgmental, unbiased environment to empower individuals to explore their beliefs and concerns while gaining or enhancing skills to address your therapeutic needs.

I have always been a big fan of Dolly Parton's quote "If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving a new one." However, paving a new path for ourselves can be overwhelming and I feel that no one should have to do that alone. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience in the field of social services. I became a therapist to help people navigate life transitions and cope with anxiety disorders. I have worked in a variety of settings including social service agencies and private practice groups. The majority of my work has been assisting undergraduate and graduate students with navigating their challenging academic programs as well as assisting young professionals (especially new teachers and social workers) to navigate the anxiety and stress associated with starting their career which can present numerous challenges with anxiety and setting boundaries. I have also developed experience in assisting adult gay men in coming out by being an informed clinician in processing the challenges that have come with living with unaccepting family members and friend groups and providing support and coping strategies to deal with this difficult process. As a lifelong gamer myself, who has played on numerous video game competitive teams, I am informed and affirming about video games. This is an important quality for some client's to be aware of as I feel this quality about me allows a reduction in the propensity for introducing a negative bias toward video games in the therapy space. Therapy is a flexible space that looks different for every client. However, in general, you can expect a client-centered approach and I tend to also draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. As you begin to start paving that new road, I'll come along and help guide this process using these tools and provide support, help you build awareness, work toward a reduction in symptoms, and provide encouragement as you move through your experience.

I am licensed in Illinois with 16 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, trauma and abuse, & bipolar disorder. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. 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 12 years of clinical experience; most recently specializing in addictions for the past 6 years. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, relationship issues, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Solution Focused Therapy. I work closely with my clients to create goals based on the achievements they are looking to attain and to identify techniques which can change their debilitating thoughts, feelings and behaviors. I play a very active role in therapy by listening and offering empathic feedback. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in Illinois with 9 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, & trauma and abuse. I also have experience working with intimacy related issues. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

Please be aware my availability is early mornings sessions. Monday - Friday. (5am - 7am) This may change some in the summer. I am licensed in Missouri with 6 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, & trauma and abuse. I also have experience working with concentration, memory and focus (adhd). I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am honored to support you in that process. I am licensed in Nevada and Illinois with 6 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, stage of life issues & parenting strategies. I would embrace the opportunity to support you no matter who you are or what you believe. You are connecting for a purpose, I would love to help you achieve that purpose. I feel very strongly that video and phone sessions work best. I text only to confirm appointment details or notice of last minute changes.

I am licensed in Illinois with 5 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with grief and loss, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

Aida is an astute and an accomplished psychotherapist and hypnotherapist and a gifted intuitive who has, for the last 20 years, chosen to dedicate her life to helping others live in peace, free and liberated from the sufferings that bind them. For Aida, being a psychotherapist is more than a profession- she considers it as her mission and her purpose. Aida was born in Penang, an island located on the west coast of the Malaysian Peninsula. Her interest and curiosity in people developed early on in her life when she had the privilege of forming close friendships with many others whose culture and socioeconomic backgrounds differed from hers. As a highly sensitive child, she took a keen interest in the human conditions, after encountering homeless individuals on the streets of Penang, and what she witnessed was etched deep in her soul. Yet it was only after she graduated from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration that Aida realized her learning as a student of life had just begun. She heeded the echoes in her soul to bring psychiatry to the streets by serving the homeless living on the south and west sides of Chicago for 7 years. She is an avid proponent of equal access to mental health care-for several years, she dedicated herself to serving low-income seniors, clients with disabilities and clients living with HIV/AIDS by making home visits in economically distressed communities. Over the years, her strong desire to ease sufferings was evidenced by her work with Hospice, in drug rehabilitation centers, in hospital in-patient units, in nursing homes, in the courts system, in weight loss center and in private practice. She has seen through her years of living and working that none of us will leave this world unscathed; and with the same token, none of us is beyond redemption because we are all greater than the pains we had held within us. Aida brings a wealth of knowledge, patience, perseverance, warmth, compassion, empathy, deep listening, humor, curiosity and creativity into her sessions to engage with her clients who are adolescent, young adults, adults and older adults. Her understanding of human nature combined with her deep emotional depth and a sharp intellect make her a therapist who gets it; and is therefore, able to form strong relationships even with her most resistant clients. She firmly believes that the medicine required for healing is embedded within the therapist-client relationship, making therapy an art form that is anchored in science. She is certain that peace-a priceless treasure- is achieved when we are awakened to our true selves, untainted by circumstances, or even traumas, that distort our perceptions of ourselves and others, and incapacitate our adaptability and functioning. Through her work, she has come to understand that self-distortion is at the root of our sufferings and influences how we relate to ourselves, to others and to circumstances. To that purpose, Aida is successful in serving many clients who have crossed her path due to her unrelentless pursuit in guiding them to journey deep into their psyche, to feel their emotions, to embrace all parts of themselves, in search of understanding what happened to them. She has helped her clients gain new insights about themselves, to shape their new decisions moving forward, to live the life they had always wanted but never quite knew how to achieve. She has seen through her years of living and serving that none of us will leave this world unscathed, yet none of us is beyond redemption, no matter what we endured, because we are all greater than the pains we have held within us. Aida continues to attend to her own healing process as she walks through life with her clients. She considers herself a pilgrim seeking spiritual growth, seeking the pathless path towards an ever greater awareness, evolution, connection and Oneness with all creation. She is an avid student of Jungian psychology and altered states of consciousness as well as a long time practitioner of yoga and meditation. Her wisdom which she integrates into her sessions comes from studying various traditions including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Shamanism and the Yoga Sutras. She gives gratitude to her years of learning and healing under the guidance of her current teachers, David Hartman and Diane Zimberoff, who are founders of the Wellness Institute and Zacciah Blackburn who founded The Center of Light.

I am licensed in Indiana with 18 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, parenting 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. I have a history of working with families, individuals, teens, adults, and couples. One of my strengths is helping parents as they navigate the path of parenthood. 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 10 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, & depression. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.