Gottman Method Therapists in Niles, IL

When we are connected to others, the world feels safer to live in. Healthy and happy relationships can bring joy and meaning to our lives. But that's not always an easy path. I work with individuals and couples who are struggling in their marriages, partnerships, and overall family dynamics. Often their goal is to bring a sense of vitality and intimate connection to their relationship. That can mean working through codependency issues as they learn how to build healthy boundaries and connection. That can mean learning how to create self awareness and taking greater responsibility for your own healing.

Melissa Rust is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Illinois, and a Nationally Certified Counselor, trained in EMDR and Gottman principles, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Are you having conflict in your relationships, feeling stuck, depressed, or anxious? My specialization is working with people to heal anxiety, PTSD, and depressive symptoms, and resolve relational conflicts. Counseling provides incredible benefits including improved mental health, enhanced coping skills, emotional support, personal growth and self-empowerment.

With just over 20 years experience in the field, I am the proud owner of Northwest Suburban Counseling. My colleagues and I provide services to a broad spectrum of clients and truly enjoy dedicating ourselves to our work as private practitioners. Among my personal areas of specialization are depression & anxiety, marital discord, pre-marital counseling, relationship counseling, anger management, autism spectrum disorders, school and home behavioral issues, parental guidance and divorce support.

As an LCPC, Mediator, and Clinical Supervisor with over 15 years of experience, I focus on the strengths and resiliencies clients already possess and offer strategies and interventions to help overcome barriers. Some areas I specialize in are anxiety, depression, trauma, major life events, divorce, and familial conflict. I have worked across different levels of care and understand the importance of a trusting, therapeutic relationship.

Do you want a safe, nurturing, and empathetic space where you can share your fears and painful life circumstances? Do you want to learn concrete coping skills to work through difficult thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and embark on a path of improved quality of life? I have extensive experience working with adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families. I specialize in anxiety, depression, grief counseling, trauma/PTSD, substance abuse, pediatric concerns and maternal depression. I also enjoy working with couples who are experiencing conflicts in their marriage and are determined to bring positive changes in their life.

You've landed on the right page if you want to work on difficult relationships with family, friends, work, lovers or yourself. Perhaps you want help: managing toxic stress, feeling more calm and confident, less lonely or resentful, managing conflict, exploring boundaries, overcoming codependency, changing counterproductive patterns, letting go of the need to control, learning how to identify and express yourself in an effective way, improving self-esteem, improving communication, and shifting away from insecure attachment styles. I offer both individual and couples therapy, and specialize in complex trauma and relationships.

Specializing in rapid results (2 to 8 visits on average) for marriage counseling, sex therapy, depression and anxiety for 30 years. Specializing in cases that have failed in previous marital, depression or sex therapy. "Chicago Magazine's" Top 500 physicians referred their own patients for decades. My reputation is built on its commitment and success at offering the most effective and rapid treatments available for marriage counseling, depression and anxiety, erectile dysfunction, loss of sexual desire for males and females, retarded and premature ejaculation, orgasmic difficulties, unconsumated marriage, and anxiety.

I work with adult individuals and couples who feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life and unsure how to navigate the complexities of personal, relational, and professional challenges. I help my clients discover what matters most to them and build the courage, communication skills, and compassion to live in alignment with those things.

There are times when everyone needs support, advice and new ways of coping. Whether you are struggling with a particular issue or just feel "stuck", I can help. As a licensed clinician and the founder of PRP, I have spent the last 17 years studying evidence and science based approaches to psychotherapy and the treatment of emotional/psychological issues in some of the country's best universities, including Northwestern University and UW-Madison. These experiences have allowed me to develop a holistic therapeutic approach where I integrate complementary researched-informed modalities to offer personalized and effective treatments.

I provide a safe space for individuals, couples, & families to determine their “why”, their mission and actionable steps to identify and overcome barriers and accomplishing their established mission. I offer psycho-education, talk therapy, narrative therapy, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior therapies, and dialectical behavior therapies.

It takes a great deal of courage to share your experiences with someone, and I am honored to walk this journey with you! Together we can explore how current (and past) stressors and uncertainties may be impacting your lived experience. I aim to co-create an open and warm therapeutic space of collaboration where we can unfold your experiences and culture while strengthening insight, healthy coping skills, and self-compassion. In this process we can explore a holistic understanding of your self in the context of your relationships and the world. I offer easy-to-use, HIPAA-compliant TeleHealth/teletherapy services.

You’ve been carrying the anxiety and pain for far too long. No one really knows what it's like to be you. It feels utterly lonely. But you are at the point, where you want to find hope again and see if there is a chance that it doesn’t have to be this way. You are navigating relationships with your intimate partner and friends, and experiencing difficult lonely feelings about your life, family, health, and career. Whether you have a relationship or are starting a new one, planning a family or maintaining one, struggling at college, battling chronic pain or IBS, or moving into the empty nest syndrome, there is so much to worry about.

When you or your child/teen is struggling, you want strategies to combat challenges NOW. At North Shore Family Services, we empower kids, teens, and adults to learn tools, so they can succeed independently. Our goal is for children, teens, adults, parents, and couples to learn skills to be successful with school, peers, work, and family- long after therapy ends. We assist with IEP and 504 plans to help our children/teen clients succeed where they spend most of their day- out of their parents' sight. Parents are our partners in helping kids and teens learn life skills.

Offering telehealth and in-person. One of my favorite quotes is by the late Magda Gerber- "We all need someone who understands." As a clinician that has worked with a variety of mental health and familial issues, I can attest that the most important part of the therapeutic process is the relationship between the therapist and the client. I prioritize that relationship and always aim to create a safe and non-judgmental space for the most vulnerable and deepest parts of your struggles to be heard and made better. I believe that every individual has the internal skills to create the life for themselves and with others that they want.

I provide clinical therapeutic services to individuals, couples and families. I am warm, compassionate and eager to partner with clients. I use a strengths-based approach and believe in the power of therapeutic relationships. My goal is to listen and understand clients and help them learn appropriate coping skills that can help them outside of the therapy session. I understand the courage it takes to ask for help.