Dual Diagnosis Therapists in North Riverside, IL

My clinical focus is to support you in exploring current concerns, developing insight and strategies to manage/problem-solve and to navigate whatever life throws at you. My training and experience encourage seeing ourselves in the context of our social environments: family, school, jobs, culture. Therapy as a collaborative process, building on the strengths you already have and moving to finding joy in the present moment. I utilize a client centered approach and develop an individualized plan, drawing on family systems, DBT/cognitive approaches, and insight orientated therapy. I enjoy working with adolescents, adults, and families.

I have always been fascinated with understanding how people think, how they have come to believe what they believe and how they have become who they are. I have come to realize that many people simply want to feel heard, understood and cared for. This is part of the reason why I became a counselor, along with wanting to help people and destigmatize mental health. Coming from immigrant parents who came to America to enable their children to live a better life than they did, to them that meant getting a practical & stable job. But with time I realized that I didn't want my life to be just practical – I also wanted it to be purposeful.

I work with clients confronting issues surrounding sex addiction and other compulsive behaviors and/or substance abuse. The partners and family members of those confronting addiction often have a unique trauma experience and I am passionate about helping all those impacted. My work with this population has taught me that many flawed solutions present as a result of trauma. I work diligently to assist clients in discovering and understanding their historical experiences and how those experiences contribute to the unmanageability or pain in their current lives.

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.

If you are considering therapy, you might be looking to improve your day-to-day experience, work through past issues that still bother you today, or manage symptoms that get in the way of your relationships and goals. Therapy can help you discover your inner strength and most important values, and help you find the power to guide yourself into a life you love. I work with individuals facing challenges ranging from grief, self-doubt, and relationship issues to depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use. You may not know where to start, but together we can figure out the direction you want your therapeutic journey to take.

Most people, sometime in their life, need help with a problem, emotions, a situation, or a sense of discomfort or struggle that has just gone on too long. Therapy can provide the help and support often needed to feel better about ourselves or our situation. I have extensive experience helping people become stronger and more resilient. My goal is to work in a partnership to jointly figure out what modalities, personal skills and experience can best help each individual resolve the problem(s) at hand

For over 20 years, I have treated a wide variety of clients, experiencing a vast array of challenges. I have worked with adolescents to improve coping and communication, and with adults to navigate professional issues, family and relationship issues, as well as to resolve issues of sexuality, including sexual addiction. I have also worked with senior clients to address unresolved issues leading to depression and anxiety. I have also provided treatment in a wide variety of settings, from schools and communities, to hospitals and correctional facilities. He vivido en Latinoamerica, y tengo experiencia con asuntos biculturales, familiares, y de comportamiento.

Exploring a difficult relationship, understanding your grief process, or managing your anxiety in social situations can be steps on the path towards mental health. My goal is to help you reduce self-judgment and increase insight into the changes you have the power to make. Together, we create a reprieve from life's demands and focus exclusively on your needs. When we understand our experiences more holistically with less shame and guilt, symptom relief and confidence often follow.

I provide quality mental health counseling and therapy that is thoughtfully tailored to your needs. Our work together will address concerns in an empowering and centering way that produces substantive change. My approach is connective (Therapy works best when we are able to connect and work well together) and directive (by directive I mean that I give things for you to do during the week like writing, journaling, reading, exercises, reflections, and/or activities). I'm known for being helpful with people who have been through therapy and haven't had success. I help people find aliveness, creativity, and strength.

We all find ourselves at times in our life that we require nurturance to help us through life's changes. Loss in our lives requires care and guidance by a professional. Loss may be defined in various ways, it may be death, divorce, depression, addictions, infidelity, anxiety, infertility just to name a few. I work to specifically assist individuals, couples, families and groups to alleviate emotional disorders, to understand conscious and unconscious motivation, to resolve emotional, relationship and attitudinal conflicts and to help modify behaviors that interfere with effective emotional, social adaptive, and intellectual functioning.

Sarah Lesniak, LSW, looks at the therapeutic process as a collaborative relationship. She meets clients halfway if they are willing to meet her halfway. Sarah treats clients as people and not their disorders, and she strives to provide a safe, comfortable place for them to open up. Sarah earned an MSW from University of St. Francis and has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults struggling with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and PTSD. She currently treats clients age 9 and up.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in several diverse settings, which has given me a unique therapeutic approach. I am passionate about working with individuals who have felt unseen and misunderstood. My intention is to create a space where you feel safe and empowered to stand with the feelings that continue to cause you pain, fear, or discomfort.

Now Accepting new clients (daytime hours 12pm-5pm). As humans, we experience an endless amount of transitions, highs, and lows that cumulatively come to define who we are. In this process, we may find ourselves struggling with anxiety, depression, and fear of the unknown. In an effort to cope with these challenges, we often develop patterns of thinking and behaving that don't serve us or honor our unique strengths and resiliency. In my practice, I work with individuals to create meaning from difficult experiences and to develop coping strategies that allow them to live with a greater sense of peace, personal power, and authenticity.

Therapy can be a difficult step for individuals to take in their lives. People may seek therapy in order to find answers to issues they have had for many years. Therapy is also much more than that. Therapy is a collaboration between the client and the therapist, in order to gain insight and have the necessary tools to continue to succeed in their everyday lives. My goal is to create an environment in which you feel comfortable working on yourself. Being as authentic as I can be during sessions. Providing a supportive and safe space where you can express yourself freely and discuss your issues without fear of judgment.