Therapists in Cook County, IL

You feel like you're going through the motions but never really getting anywhere. Maybe you're completely stressed out and worried about your future or your family members' futures. Or maybe it's a struggle to set healthy boundaries for yourself and your loved ones. You've likely been debating seeking help for months if not years. We're so glad you've taken the courageous step of being here. We're confident that together, we can work to help equip you with the necessary tools to help you face and overcome these challenges.

Hello! I am Analeise, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker working in the NW side of Chicago where I offer individual and family therapy. I chiefly use Strengths Based, Client-Driven, and Person-Centered therapy. We are the experts on ourselves, even when thinking that conditions inside or outside of us are running the show. We have an innate drive to heal and grow. Therapy is designed to connect us with the truest expression of ourselves, not driven by anxiety or reactivity. It is a relief to know this is possible to access our best self; as a partner, parent, family member, or co-worker.

Gregg Bagdade is a Mental Health Counselor with his Master’s degree from Concordia University. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Penn State in Human Development and Family Studies where he interned at the Chicago Fire Department employee assistance program. Much of his studies were dedicated to understanding trauma-related issues such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Gregg is currently a firefighter/paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department logging in almost 20 years in this position. He heads the First Responder Program at CCAH helping fire/police/military cope with the rigors of their career.

I've seen, heard and personally experienced the difficulty of finding a therapist when you hold marginalized identities. It's an honor for me to be able to provide a unique space for folks like us! I believe that understanding how our culture, gender, society, family, etc. inform our identities allows people to ditch the concepts or social expectations that don’t fit and pursue the ones that feel truly authentic. Let's show up as we are and get some solid work done!

Now accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield Community (Medicaid) Is the person in the mirror becoming a stranger? It is normal for work, finances, relationships, love, friendships, family, loss, and/or health to generate intense feelings of emotional distress. You are not alone. You are not going crazy. Our motto is this: We will meet you where you are and take you where you want to be. There is hope. You can be YOU again. Getting out of bed can feel good again. When you need to look at something painful, a safe space is waiting for you with empathy and compassion.

My goal as a therapist is to try and help people see their circumstances, their world and maybe even themselves a little differently than before they walked through my door. I believe that therapy can be truly transformative when one is fully committed to the process, a commitment I try to support and encourage by establishing a relationship built on trust and respect. I primarily utilize family and individually focused therapy and employ the methods of ACT, DBT and CBT therapies in an effort to meet each individual where they are and make their introduction to the therapeutic process as seamless as possible.

I believe in the importance of building a therapeutic relationship and comfortable environment and therefore believe in being authentic and realistic with clients. I find this to be especially important in working with adolescents, young adults, families, and those who hav experienced trauma. I enjoy getting to understand their prospective and being able to advocate for them as well as to teach them to advocate for themselves and learn the skills that they need to communicate more effectively with others. I also believe that working with families and parents creates more success for everyone and therefore facilitate more change.

Supervising since 2005, and a previous Director of Training with over 20 years of experience, I consider it a privilege to offer meaningful work for children, adolescents, adults, couples, parents, and families. Through a genuine caregiving, positive lens I provide support to others. Through the relationship-oriented, Inner Humanism approach, I offer an understanding of development across the lifespan. The care individuals receive is characterized by achieving an inner well-being and happiness that remains stable and conflict free regardless of life obstacles, family changes, and daily ups and downs.

Are you experiencing feelings of frustration from various situations and people, struggling with a rollercoaster of emotions, and feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands? Counseling can help in exploring these feelings and other areas in your life that may be hindering you from moving forward. Collaborating with a therapist who is motivated in helping to explore emotions, strengths, and develop realistic strategies can be beneficial.

I work with adolescents and adults. My specialities include working with people experiencing life transitions, survivors of trauma, queer and trans people, people of color, and disabled folks. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming, kink affirming, and sex positive. I also work with polyamourous and non-monogamous people, as well as those with other alternative relationship orientations. Additionally, I have experience working with folks with substance use concerns, adoptees, religious minorities, sex workers, and neurodivergent people.

Primarily interacting with adolescents and adults, my main focus while working with clients have encompassed challenges regarding, but not limited to, feelings of anxiety, depression, grief, and self-esteem. As clients and I explore and analyze the underlying causes of their life stressors, we work on various coping skills and strategies to move through these obstacles, allowing clients to discover and maintain health habits and lifestyle choices.

Therapy is a collaborative process and I work with clients to create a safe and supportive environment so they can explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. My approach to counseling is rooted in person-centered therapy, which emphasizes the client's experiences, perspective and needs. I believe that clients are the experts on their own lives. I work with each client to identify their own goals and develop a plan for achieving them. I am committed to helping clients identify and address the underlying factors contributing to their mental struggles and supporting them in developing healthy coping strategies.

We have our own journey full of triumphs, struggles, and failure. Therapy is a perfect format to process and come to the understanding of where and why you are that brings you to seek the service. My belief is that therapy is the place for the person to process and discuss each unique experience without judgment and develop a healthy way to cope or come to terms with the consequences. Therapy also can be your opportunity to be seen and heard, which would help you move toward the acceptance of yourself.

Our life's work is helping clients achieve a better sense of self and happiness...more recently we've recognized that without good mental health providers, finding this balance in life can be more difficult and stressful. As a result, we tend toward an Integrative approach and help our clients transform into the people they want to be. We see each client as an individual with many parts to their identity. Utilizing a holistic and systemic approach we help clients reintegrate the parts of themselves to function better as individuals and within their systems. Our focus tenhers and fathers navigating prenatal/postpartum depression.

NOW Accepting New Clients! We are here to support you. Life Aligned Counseling offers individual and couples counseling services. Our team of therapists has experience in a wide variety of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, loss and grief, relationship issues, self-esteem and self-concept, family conflict, stress management, spirituality, significant life transitions, lgbtqia+ concerns, women's issues, men's issues, etc.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao-Tzu. Let's face it: asking for help isn't always easy, but you've taken the courage to do so. Therapy is an exciting experience of self-discovery! As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I work with adults, individually or as couples. I use a bilateral approach, incorporating a Strength-based practice with a focus on the mind/body connection, in particular Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). I assist clients in noticing, when automatic processes are occurring & to alter their reaction to be more of a reflection.

I provide psychological therapy which focuses on the way that people think and behave. My practice specializes in working with children/adolescents and college/post-college adults who have problems adapting to their current life circumstances. Each person brings into treatment all their experiences, both joyous and problematic, which provides a base for the development of individualized goals and objectives.

As we go through life we often find ourselves wondering what we can do to better in our relationships with our significant others, family members and others around us. It seems as if we have tried everything, but nothing seems to work, at least not for a long time period. As a therapist, I believe in compassion, therapeutic alliance, and a non-judgmental environment to be with you every step of the way as you reach your goals. I am a Certified Psychotherapist that has emphasized in trauma, complex trauma, relationship issues, Grief, Infidelity, anxiety, and mood disorders.

I specialize in helping people heal from traumatic and experiences, to include: family conflicts, adults abused as children, narcissistic abuse, parental alienation and parents financially caring for adult children. You may not know what to expect from therapy, but you know you need to make some changes so you can move forward in life. Stress, anxiety, and depression are highly prevalent in our lives, and sometimes people need help and support in dealing with difficult/stressful experiences. I am a trauma therapist specializing in somatic psychology that has found success in using a mind/body approach to psychotherapy.