Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum Therapists in Evanston, IL

The decision to engage in psychotherapy is deeply personal to each of us. Many of us find ourselves repeating interpersonal patterns within relationships and thinking, "why does this keep happening?" Or battling feelings of self doubt and curious how the past shapes our current experiences. Maybe you are a new parent or currently pregnant, overwhelmed with this tremendous life transition or the intensity of your emotions.

Through individualized care and a strong therapeutic relationship, I believe clients can better understand their unique strengths and feel empowered in their lives. Using trauma-informed care and harm reduction strategies, I want clients to feel safe, affirmed, and well-informed when making the best choices for themselves.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience working with adults, young adults and adolescents. My goal is to create a safe therapeutic environment where clients feel accepted, heard and understood. I help my clients find their own strength and insight, which leads to healing, growth and self-acceptance. I work with clients from a relational, strength-based, client centered perspective, incorporating mindfulness practices. I enjoy working with individuals, couples and groups.

I am a licensed psychotherapist with a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago, where I studied clinical social work. I have experience working with children, adolescents, and adults on a wide range of clinical issues including anxiety, depression, personality disorders, relationship concerns, and trauma. I am also passionate about perinatal mental health and work with new parents as they navigate the complex issues associated with planning, pregnancy, and parenthood.

I am passionate about working with women on their journeys to pregnancy, during their adjustment to motherhood, and focusing on perinatal counseling & mental health overall. As a mother myself, I experienced firsthand what a wild ride this time in life can be. It can be both an incredibly beautiful and special season and one of the most challenging and confusing times in life. It is often accompanied by many complex feelings that can be difficult to process and express.

My goal is to provide you with a safe and comfortable space where together we can cultivate a path toward greater fulfillment. I will honor your individuality and capitalize on what is already working for you, so you can utilize this as your foundation for building greater insight and more effective skills. My style is warm, collaborative, and nonjudgmental. I consider it an honor to sit with my clients during their hardest times and witness their journey toward wellness.

Where is my life going? How do I get back to being me after having a baby? How do I support my teenager or young adult child? Now that I am finished with college, what's next? These are questions that my clients often ask. In our work together we will make a plan towards finding your authentic self, achieve personal goals and build healthier boundaries and relationships. I am a social worker with 13 years of experience working with clients of all ages.

Starting therapy can be trying process, and often what's important is finding the right fit between a therapist and a client. Once therapy begins, it can be an incredible resource where an individual may regain a sense of balance and peace of mind, build more satisfying relationships, develop more effective communication, as well as find the sense of direction and meaning that allows one to thrive. I also work as a forensic expert in women’s reproductive mental health and consult with legal counsel on criminal cases that are relevant to an experience in the postpartum period, this includes murder, infanticide, neonatacide.

Life can be full of transitions, challenge, and change. Sometimes it helps to have a safe and nonjudgmental place to work through what’s been on your mind. I strive to provide a caring, compassionate environment for that process. I’ll partner with you to help you come to your own insights, and we’ll work on noticing patterns and what is behind them. We’ll also work on identifying your unique strengths and how those can help you move toward positive change.

Challenging life transitions such as a new school, being away from home for the first time, the loss of a loved one, the postpartum period, or navigating a fertility journey can leave us feeling overwhelmed, isolated and disconnected from our true selves. It may feel like no one understands what you’re going through or like you don’t have the energy for things that used to really matter to you. Perhaps it feels like you lost your identity. You need some relief. You’re ready to feel calmer and more hopeful. You’re ready to feel like you have the tools to handle difficult days. Most of all, you’re ready to feel like yourself again.

I work with individuals and families addressing a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, self-esteem, trauma recovery, life transitions, infertility, pregnancy and postpartum, parenthood, grief and loss. I believe that we have everything we need to heal and change. I think of therapy as one tool we can use to access our inherent wisdom and ability to thrive. People I work with have described me as warm, sincere, non judgmental, and noticed that I bring a sense of humor and calm to the therapy space.

You’re feeling overwhelmed. Your thoughts just feel out of control and disruptive to your life. Sometimes you feel defeated because everyday tasks are too much to handle. You have started to wonder if it will ever get better. You can see that there are factors in your past contributing to the way you feel now. Or maybe this just came completely out of the blue for you. Either way, you are struggling to make sense of it. You know that this isn’t the way you want to feel and you’re done trying to figure out how to make it better on your own. Our diverse team at Lamppost Wellness is here to light your path to healing.

Is your anxiety on overdrive- you're overthinking, your mind is racing, you can't sleep? Does every task feel like a struggle, and you’re just exhausted from it all? If it feels impossible to cope with the stress of everyday life, now might be the time to connect with a therapist who can help you manage the ups and downs. Continue reading to learn how you can book a therapy session today, where you can finally express yourself without reservations and fear of judgement.

To schedule sessions, please book a call with our Client Care Coordinator here: www.calendly.com/adminccbh Starting this process can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Using warmth, empathy, direct feedback and skill building I can help you more fully understand yourself and your relationships and therefore feel empowered to start living the life you want to live. I firmly believe that healing comes from exploring how our past experiences have affected the ways in which we interpret and interact with our world in the present.

Each and every person is born with unique strengths and vast potential to achieve. Oftentimes, though, life's challenges get in the way. It may be external stressors, traumatic experiences or our own dysfunctional thoughts and patterns of behavior that make it difficult to live a satisfying and fulfilling life. Entering into a therapeutic relationship of acceptance and trust can serve as a turning point for achieving growth and change.

In practice for 20 years, I am a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified sex therapist specializing in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders as a starting place. Often underlying these disorders are issues with relationship patterns and stress related to stage of life transitions in both the personal and professional realms. In addition, I have expertise providing support during the prenatal and postpartum period, treating sexual health/functioning concerns, working through grief, loss and the challenge of infertility. Other ares of specialization include working with new mothers over 40 and young adults.

My name is Marie. I am a social worker and psychotherapist. I consider it a privilege to come alongside individuals and their families as they courageously navigate the challenges in their lives. As a trauma-informed yoga instructor and mental health clinician, I strive to consider the needs of the whole person: mind, body and spirit. My approach to therapy focuses on building on the client's individual strengths as we work together to achieve treatment goals. I create a safe and inviting space that encourages emotional exploration, curiosity and healing.

Sometimes, life feels too stressful. Perhaps you picture the worst case scenario, or maybe you struggle to prioritize your needs and find it hard to say no. You may feel frustrated that your relationships are not what you hoped for and you feel stuck in how to set boundaries. You might feel overwhelmed by daily responsibilities, as well as professional and personal decision-making. You might feel anxious or depressed by pregnancy, postpartum, or parenting. Together, we can understand not only what is contributing to your stress, but how to make changes, choices and decisions for a more fulfilling life.

I specialize in working with individuals, relationships, and families who present to therapy with a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression, perinatal anxiety and mood disorders, couple/family conflicts, and experiences of grief and loss. I have a special interest in working with mothers/birthing individuals who are struggling with issues related to perinatal mental health such as infertility, pregnancy loss, and prenatal/ postpartum anxiety and depression. In addition to being a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist, I also am a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Provider (PMH-C).