Therapists in Bloomington, IL

Being from Togo and living and working in many countries, I am deeply aware of how our cultures and life events affect our mental health.

Accepting new patients! Whether you are new to therapy or looking to start again, Great Lakes Psychology Group - Decatur understands that starting therapy can be overwhelming. That’s why we simplified the process with Find My Therapist. Get started by telling us about yourself, your location, and your insurance. Once you find your best-fit therapist, pick a time that works for you and book an appointment instantly through their calendar. Find My Therapist aims to make your journey as stress-free as possible, so you can start feeling better sooner.

Grief, loss, and trauma can have a profound and lasting impact on you or people you love. You may feel isolated from others and overwhelmed as you try to go about day-to-day tasks; you may struggle to feel safe, express your emotions, or understand how to make meaning from all that has happened. Other people might be telling you to “get over” it, as if grief has a deadline you haven’t met. Traumatic events from your past may bring up feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, or shame, which can prevent you from doing the things you want to do, affect your relationships, and make it hard to communicate or set healthy boundaries with others.

Has your life taken an unexpected detour? Maybe it's a chaotic relationship, unrelating anxiety or navigating difficult family dynamics. Whatever your struggles might be, fighting these battles on your own can be difficult, painful and sometimes overwhelming. However, there is an incredible amount of power in a strong therapeutic relationship where you can process life with someone who desires to fully understand you with a lens of compassion and empathy.

Now accepting new clients! When we are struggling in life, feeling stuck, hurt, confused, or alone, we all deserve a place to talk with someone who we know will not judge or shame us, but instead who will walk alongside us and help us create change, finding our hope and strength. I believe that you were designed to heal and you have everything you need inside you. If you are feeling overwhelmed, it's okay to reach out for help, support, or guidance so that you can move towards the life you want to live.

Lou Reyes is a dedicated Licensed Social Worker with over a decade of experience in mental health and addiction counseling. Since earning her Bachelor of Science in Human Services Counseling with a Minor in Addictions Treatment from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Lou has been committed to making a positive impact on the lives of her clients. In 2020, Lou achieved her Master of Social Work with a focus on the Social Work Practice of Hispanic Children and Families from Our Lady of The Lake University.

Life can be really hard and painful sometimes, and you may feel really alone in our struggles. You may have a relationship with someone you love but just can't seem to get along. You may be a parent trying to best figure out how to help a child or teen who is having problems. You may have anxiety that you can’t seem to push down any longer, and your thoughts seem to loop and loop. You have come to the right place.

Therapy is a shared journey that requires trust and investment on both ends. I know that this kind of trust can take time to build. As such, I will always offer patience, understanding, and an open mind regarding anything that may be on your path. I will also always welcome your questions, curiosities, and critiques, and strive to respond in an open, honest, and direct manner. As a counselor, I recognize that our social locations and differing experiences affect our perspectives and approaches to the world, and I hold this in mind as I work with clients.

Taking the first step reaching out to a counselor can be difficult, however, Ashley loves meeting new people and quickly is able to put people at ease. She finds great enjoyment hearing other people’s stories. Her approach with children and teens includes a lot of humor and is lighthearted with lots of play and silliness. Her approach with adults is unconditional positive regard seeing them through the lens of grace. She always offers encouragement and hope with a side of gentle challenging of unhealthy patterns.

Are you a couple or individual navigating significant life transitions, relationship challenges, or personal crises? My clients usually struggle with issues such as communication problems, intimacy issues, emotional distance, and/or feeling stuck. Their needs revolve around finding clarity, developing healthier coping mechanisms, and rebuilding trust and intimacy. Ultimately, my clients want to achieve emotional well-being, stronger connections, and a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships.

Every person has a unique life story and their own journey that is no one else's. I truly believe you are the expert in your own life & the more you discover about yourself during therapy, the more healing can be achieved. I strive to develop an open, honest, and caring therapeutic relationship with each of my clients. I also carry an inherent believe that people are good. I aim to offer a mix between a laid back, relaxed, & comfortable environment while also being honest & assertive while in session.

Not currently accepting new clients. Are you wondering if you can find a therapist who “gets you,” someone you can trust and who will be in your corner? You’ll find that I’m the kind of therapist who really listens, is reliable and supportive. My commitment is to provide you with a safe, nonjudgmental relationship that allows you to reach your goals at your own pace. Our work together will help you deepen self awareness and acceptance, increase compassion for yourself and others, and resolve old patterns that no longer serve you.

I recently retired from more than 25 years in hospice. I have learned so much from my the patients and families in hospice, both in how they approached dying and death, and how learn they learned to live with grief while still finding joy and purpose in their lives. Both as a guide and a witness, I have helped my clients move through their grief to weave their loss into the larger tapestry of their lives. I believe that people can grow through their grief, in spite of the fact that grief really never ends.

Before I was a therapist, I was an educator. For one course, my job was to teach first responders how to get important information from potentially traumatized witnesses/victims. I often wondered what I would do if I were permitted to see the crisis through. I believe it's my combination of a solid background in communication-which includes relationships, gender-speak, assertiveness and self-talk-and my education in Clinical Psychology and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor certification that provide for a well-balanced approach to individual counseling.

Dr. Venus Evans-Winters is a licensed clinical social worker, trauma expert, and professor. She draws upon multiple therapeutic and psychoeducational techniques (e.g., cognitive, dialectical, and reality therapies) to meet clients' mental health and socio-emotional needs. A native of Chicago and representative of the hip-hop generation, she helps clients from diverse backgrounds cope with chronic stress and trauma. Her practice is influenced by Adlerian theory and centers on culturally responsive approaches to practice because we know that culture is a significant influence on one's perception of stress and self-efficacy.

I'm not currently taking new clients. My hope is that while in therapy with me, you will experience personal growth that provides you with a feeling of peace and a release from pain. Our work together could point you in the direction of a sustained sense of balance, happiness, and wholeness. I typically use a blend of cognitive-behavioral, family systems, and yoga therapies to work toward finding a lasting sense of well-being.

Sometimes we lose our way in life or we are inhibited by past trauma/grief that can leave us overwhelmed and confused. I believe that you can't always choose your circumstances in life, but you can choose to overcome them. I also believe that you have the power to manage/control your thoughts and feelings instead of allowing them to control you. My goal is to help you work through those past or current issues, overcome those difficult circumstances in life, and to help you gain control over your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to help enhance your well-being.

There is great strength, courage, and insight in recognizing help is needed and seeking it out. I believe people are born with the natural capacity to heal themselves. My role is to help facilitate that process through support, holding hope, and use of therapeutic interventions. My favorite part of therapy is helping people find their own light, strength, and resiliency. I use a combination of evidence-based approaches to help people examine and modify unbalanced thinking patterns, develop self-awareness and insight, and strengthen their relationships. I respect the impact of cultural differences and incorporate them into treatment.

As a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor I know the importance of providing a safe and encouraging environment to make important decisions and changes. Seeking help is an act of both courage and vulnerability, and I meet these strengths with compassion, warmth, and understanding. My approach to therapy emphasizes your personal values and views relationships as the most important aspect of our lives.