Couples Counseling Therapists in Chicago, IL

Christopher Allen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois who has been practicing since 2020. Christopher completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Purdue University and his Master's degree from the Indiana University School of Social Work at IUPUI. He has experience working with a variety of populations including individuals spanning from teens to geriatric patients, substance use disorders, college students, couples, and older adults. Christopher has worked in a variety of environments including private practice, inpatient, outpatient clinic, schools, and community-based treatments.

I am a Licensed Social Worker committed to providing trauma-informed care to help individuals on their healing journey. I place the human relationship at the center of my work. Our priority will be to build trust, mutual respect, and consistency to create a safe environment to address what brought you into therapy. Together, we'll uncover your strengths and set therapeutic goals that align with the life you envision. I utilize a variety of approaches in therapy, such as exploring attachment, coping skills, mindfulness, and expressive arts, to aid in identity exploration and emotional processing.

You’re exhausted. You work so hard for those you love, but you never feel like it’s enough. After trying over and over again to improve things, you just feel stuck and tired. You’re not sure how much longer you can keep things up. You can’t focus. You’re finding yourself constantly stressed about your situation and relationship that it’s started to impact your work. You feel anxious and desperately just wanting to feel like things are okay again. Sometimes you just want to explode and other times you just feel like giving up. You’re ready for change.

My therapeutic style is an invitation to openness: a space where we discover and welcome all that arises. I offer an honest, non-judgmental, and organic environment for forging a relationship of trust and respect. This solid base allows us to delve into your unique story, examining the intricate interplay between your inner world, immediate surroundings, and larger systems that shape your life choices and ways of living. Through this process, self-inquiry and capacity-building abound.

I am a queer mental health professional who uses trauma-informed care to create a safe, inclusive, and empowering space for all clients of any background. I work with only adults who typically present cPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Many of them come to me seeking help for their religious trauma, betrayal/abandonment trauma, out of control sexual behaviors, eating disorders, and relationship issues.

Deciding to come to therapy can be very scary. Sharing your most intimate thoughts with someone can be even more frightening. This is why I make sure that I create a very safe, caring, positive, and secure place where you can feel comfortable and know that you are with someone who truly cares about your well-being.

Flourish Counseling & Wellness is a group practice providing counseling & medication management focused on women's and perinatal mental health - from fertility to pregnancy, through postpartum and parenthood. We envision a world where families have the information and support they need to heal, connect and flourish. To support that vision, we have assembled an experienced group of clinicians to serve clients in Chicago, Oak Park, and throughout Illinois. Our team consists of clinical social workers, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, marriage/family therapists and certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinicians (PMH-C).

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with 16 years of experience working with individuals, couples, families and children, contending with a wide range of issues, from mild adjustment difficulties to more chronic issues. I believe that a successful therapy experience occurs within a unique therapist-client relationship that is safe,collaborative, empowering and person focused. I draw from a range of treatment approaches to tailor treatment based on the presenting problem, current research, and the specific life circumstances and personal attributes that are unique to my clients.

I have an appreciation for complexity and understand that most of us live a life full of contradictions - striving for goodness, happiness, prosperity, low drama, and quality relationships. I get to witness clients create a foundation of safety from which they can pursue their personal and relational goals. I have a passion for working with both traditional relationships and alternative lifestyle clients, as individuals or couples. My clients are often unraveling past traumatic and toxic relationships or simply navigating the unknown with the goals of creating new, healthy patterns of communication, safety, and intimacy.

I believe that our most impactful relationships and our cultural contexts profoundly influence how we navigate the world. This systemic approach is combined with a practice that is trauma-informed and strength-based to hold space that balances warmth, thoughtfulness, and laughter with an appropriate amount of challenge. In my work, I value creating authentic and meaningful relationships with my clients where we can collaborate to deepen your understanding of yourself and your relationships.

I work with adults, older adolescents, and families with the privilege of working with diverse populations facing a wide range of issues in various clinical settings. My approach to therapy is rooted in empathy, collaboration, and evidence-based practices. I believe in creating a safe and nonjudgmental space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Whether you're grappling with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, or simply seeking personal growth, I am here to support you on your journey. Whether you have a single goal to work on, or a life plan to develop, I can guide you one step at a time.

Our clients are diverse people, some struggle with depression or anxiety, others seek clarity in communication and adapting to change. What you request assistance with is our goal, and we will empathize and assist you in navigating the therapeutic journey. You, the client, are in charge of your life and your change. Your therapist is here to help you look at your choices, provide new skills, and be a support. All the MyLCSW clinicians believe that therapy starts where the client is.

I work with adolescents, adults, and couples of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. I utilize a trauma-focused lens to help you feel safe, see events from different perspectives, and understand ways in which the trauma you have experienced is shaping your current reality. By working together, you will understand that your feelings are valid. Together, we will achieve improved mental health. My life, educational, and career experiences give me a unique and compassionate lens to help you navigate life and reach your goals.

When her initial pursuit of a career in evangelical ministry was disrupted by a mental health crisis, Casey was forced to reckon with the harmful impact of purity culture and systemic homophobia on her sense of self. After coming out as queer at a college that expressly forbid “homosexual behavior,” Casey made it her mission to disrupt misinformation and barriers to authenticity by pursuing her masters in counseling with a specialization in sexual and gender diversity, and ultimately received her Sexual Health Certificate from University of Michigan.

Are you an individual wanting another perspective as you sort through life? A new couple or family? Been together for what seems like forever? Issues with your grown siblings? Whether just starting out and working through the complexities of a new job, relationship or family, or understanding that living with the same person day in and day out, year after year, can be difficult (right?!), sometimes it is helpful to bring in an outside person to help work through the "everyday-ness" of life.

One of the beautiful things I have the privilege of witnessing as a therapist is the ever-evolving changes and awareness clients develop throughout their healing and growth process. I fully believe that each and every one of us is worth investing the work within ourselves when we develop the courage to seek help. I consider the therapeutic relationship with clients to be a team effort towards reaching the client’s desired goals and outcomes in a safe, non-judgmental space.

Text Lou at 312.593.7527 to leave a message - http://www.louwalsh.com - (Elizabeth L Fisk Walsh, NPI 1871568584) "How are you going to fix me?" clients will sometimes ask. Because I believe that motivated people are capable of making changes in their lives, I encourage clients to accept responsibility for their own choices. I enjoy seeing people feel more confident about making independent decisions. Whether they have relationship issues, anxiety, fears, depression, or just ways they need to make small adjustments to their way of being, it is gratifying for me to provide the assistance as I watch them "fix" themselves.

I have had the pleasure of working with individuals, couples, and families from a variety of backgrounds coping with a range of concerns. I believe that the client and counselor being in partnership helps to build a strong therapeutic relationship which creates and models healing, self-discovery, and holistic wellness.

My areas of interest include working with adolescents, young adults, and families/couples. In addition, as a South Asian immigrant, I am passionate about working with the BIPOC and immigrant communities to help normalize therapy. I know that these populations often experience struggles specifically relating to their identity and culture and thus I am always working through a culturally competent lens and learning how intersectionality affects one’s mental health. Overall, I help guide those I work with through life challenges, the difficulties of interpersonal relationships, the complex reactions of trauma, and anxiety/stress.