Therapists in Chicago, IL

My name is Claire Brown and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My approach to therapy is making it what YOU want and need it to be. I see clients with a diverse range of needs, including mental health and substance use disorders. I'm comfortable treating many different mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, co-dependency, trauma, work-related stressors, and many, many others. Additionally, I'm a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC) who has extensive experience supporting those struggling with substance use disorders.

Grief, loss, and change challenge us to renegotiate – in our bodies, in our thoughts – earlier and similar transformations in our lives, stirring up difficult emotions, thoughts, images, and bodily experiences. In our work together, I will attend with integrity to whatever expressions of body, mind, and heart that arise. In this work that requires patience of us both, I will help you to discover and connect the elements of your own unconscious, history, desires, associations, leading to a genuine – even transformative – development of your own psychological, spiritual, and embodied personal narrative.

Sometimes in life you feel stuck, whether in an emotion, a moment in our life, or a memory. Therapy can be a space where we can work together toward clarity on what is keeping you stuck. You can start building momentum and move past whatever is holding you in place. We can do that by working on shorter-term goals that address specific changes you want to see in your life. Additionally, we can also explore more profound challenges around long-held resentments.

My philosophy as a therapist is to treat each person as a unique individual worthy of unconditional acceptance, regardless of their circumstances or struggles. I desire to come alongside, challenge, and encourage my clients to find healing emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Counseling explores these roadblocks and helps the person remove obstacles to happiness so he or she can go on to lead a happy and more fulfilling life. Learning healthy patterns of behavior is necessary to achieve a more enriched and fulfilling life.

Welcome to Resilience therapy. As a licensed psychotherapist, I am here to help YOU craft resilience in your life.

Clients often find me when they feel that traditional talk therapy doesn't seem to be enough - when they have gained lots of valuable insight into the "why" behind their experience, but the physiological symptoms persist. Intellectualy understanding our past traumas is different from healing, integrating, and organizing our past (and present) traumatic experiences. Clients who come to me are often engaged in an ongoing battle with their own nervous system responses, and often feel stuck in adaptive patterns without knowing how to break free.

Welcome to Peace centered Wholeness where the counseling style of our practitioners is relaxing; inviting you to journey toward your peaceful center. Each session is tailored for the individual/couple/family. No cookie-cutter counseling here. Time is taken to get to know you before asking about problems and offering solutions. First-time visitors can expect to complete an intake packet, which takes approximately 15 minutes. After the packet is completed, relax. Wait time is usually less than 10 minutes.

We all encounter periods of disconnection and unhappiness in life. Difficult relationships, unsatisfying careers, and adjusting to life’s transitions can contribute to these feelings. For many, harmful coping mechanisms develop in response to these challenges, exacerbating feelings of despair and loss of control. However, times of suffering can also serve as invitations to let go of limiting beliefs and ineffective coping strategies in order to become the person we aspire to be.

I enjoy working collaboratively with individuals and couples with the goal of providing support, encouragement and the emotional tools necessary to successfully navigate through a variety of mental health issues. My treatment is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but I rely on an eclectic approach to therapy in order to best meet the needs of my clients and their presenting issue(s). My focus areas of treatment include: Depression, Anxiety, Stress Management, Christian Spirituality (Catholic & Protestant), Anger Management, Marital and Pre-marital, Men's issues, Substance Abuse and Other Addictions.

You might look for individual therapy because you experience obstacles that happen again and again; you are trying to figure out who you are and what you want in life. You might be looking for couples therapy because you feel disconnected from your partner or have difficulty communicating; you fight or have difficulty with being intimate. You might be looking for family therapy because you don’t know how to connect with your kids; there is conflict in your family and you don’t know how to resolve it. You might be a person of color, immigrant or second generation and struggle with issues mentioned above.

I became a therapist to help people and challenge them to become better versions of themselves. My goal is not to terrify you with change but to help you acknowledge and embrace discomfort, pursuing your best self. I developed an interest in OCD after working with individuals in private practice and community mental health who managed their OCD through previous treatments. Realizing there were other concerns in their lifelong pursuit of managing OCD drew me to NOCD. At NOCD, my team and I specialize in providing evidence-based treatment for OCD. Our deep understanding of its nuances allows us to properly diagnose and treat it.

Everyone believes you have it all together. The truth is it’s getting harder to get by. Despite your achievements and strengths, you can’t tune out the voice that says, "you’re not good enough". You put yourself last and are often your own worst critic. You're exhausted. You want to build your confidence and develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself. You want to set boundaries without the guilt and anxiety. You're ready to make changes but not sure how to start.

I think I work best with clients whose goals are both large and realistic: working with depth enough for deep healing and growth, but with an eye to the practical, and with clear communication back and forth. Clients who need to tackle embarrassing, painful and difficult issues may appreciate my gently direct, understanding and non-judgmental approach. Those who have been frustrated with cookie-cutter approaches may appreciate my close listening, collaboration, and inventiveness based on extensive training and experience. I find I work well with a variety of symptoms and presenting problems in adults, children and relationships.

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 tends toward a systems based approach using behavior methods.

I believe that everyone has the right and the ability to achieve an engaged, balanced, satisfying life. I enjoy working with clients of all ages. In my work I am continuously impressed by my clients’ ability to grow and change, and by their courage, creativity, strength, and capacity for love and connection. I encourage you to take the first step today to restore the balance and health in yourself, your child, your family, and your relationships.

I want my clients to feel empowered, to know that we work together as a team to accomplish their goals. Life can be sometimes difficult to accept and navigate. I can help in struggles with depression, grief, life transitions , anger management, anxiety and relationships issues. I strive to help them enjoy meaningful and healthy relationships with others (and themselves), to manage and overcome anxiety and depression, control their anger and to strategies to combat feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated by life’s demands. To believe in happiness.

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), and Art and Yoga Therapist practicing in the Chicago Area. I work to provide a safe and collaborative space for you to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to facilitate meaningful change in your life. The root of my work is assisting others to discover, strengthen, and grow inner peace. If you feel grounded in yourself, it's so much easier to ride out the obstacles - big and small - that life throws at you. I believe the process of change is not a straight line or one-size-fits-all model.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with expertise in clinical interventions for depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and challenges related to sexuality and gender. My personal experiences of coming out as queer and having family members who struggle with severe mental illness have developed my passion for mental health and social justice. I love being able to connect with LGBTQ+ individuals and members of other groups facing obstacles related to systemic oppression. I also have a background in sexual health education and enjoy supporting clients through issues around dating, relationships, and sex.

I believe that challenges can present opportunities for healing and growth. In my work with clients, I provide a space where one can feel understood, supported and empowered. I truly believe that effective therapy is based in a genuine and collaborative relationship between the client and therapist. Through this approach, I help clients to manage difficult emotions, address adverse thought patterns, and improve upon factors that may hinder one's quality of life.