Therapists in Forest Park, IL

I came into the field of therapy because I have always been curious to how and what makes a relationship (romantic, friendship, or family) healthy and successful. Throughout my professional career I have worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families. It’s been a joy for me to empower my clients to develop and become more aware of their triggers, needs, and wants. In every client interaction, I learn the things that you need help with and we work together to put your story together in a meaningful way.

Working with various populations has taught me the importance of understanding the full individual and their own unique experience in the world. I provide a supportive environment, focusing on symptom reduction while also exploring underlying roots of emotional discomfort. I encourage self-exploration, emotional processing, and self-acceptance. I try to help clients connect past experiences to their current situations, and I utilize the therapeutic relationship to foster clients' growth and self-fulfillment. I find therapy to be powerful and exciting, and I consider it a privilege to help people strive for their potential.

I see adults for both individual and couple's therapy addressing many common areas of concern, including: stress; anxiety; depression; relationship issues; intimacy & communication; self-esteem & identity issues; work & life satisfaction; meaning & purpose; and general unhappiness. My style is direct and collaborative. I use a flexible approach that is adapted to each individual or couple. My approach is especially effective at getting to the root of issues, sorting through the conflict and confusion, and portraying what the trouble is in a clear new light.

As the parent of a struggling child or teen, you may wonder what you can do to help them feel better. I’m here to provide you and your family the support and guidance that will help you gain a deeper understanding of your child, and feel more connected to them. I am passionate and experienced in helping children, teenagers, and their families overcome life's challenges. I have seen many children and teens struggle to express or articulate their emotions. That’s what I am here for. I find playful ways to help children express their inner world while guiding parents to also be curious to what is under their behavior.

Hello! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based out of Illinois. I have experience working with individuals who face challenges with their mental health for the past 10 years. I enjoy serving a diverse range of clients and tailoring my expertise to address individual needs and challenges.

I believe that it takes a lot of strength and courage to ask for help. If you are ready to take the next steps to improve your quality of life, please reach out to me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if I’m the right clinician to support you on your journey. I am a solution focused therapist and use a strength-based approach in my practice. While I believe that processing past trauma and experiences can be an important part of recovery, I am here to meet you where you are right now to help focus on your goals for the future.

I am an experienced psychotherapist and I work with clients from diverse backgrounds. I have extensive experience working with clients who are adult children of alcoholics and helping clients who have suffered a loss(es) and seek bereavement counseling. I also work with adults and youths who have both depression and anxiety, including panic attacks and phobias. I offer specific strategies to combat anxiety and panic attacks. My particular expertise has been working with parents and their children. Other areas of practice are sexual abuse and domestic violence.

My theoretical orientation is a holistic and diversified approach based on current research, best practice, and evidence-based treatment. I value integrating the total well-being of the individual to assist in accessing their greatest potential for change and sense of purpose. I understand that individuals and their situations are unique, and my counseling methodology is responsive to the personal needs and learning styles of the client.

Trauma can make you feel like someone has robbed you of your innocence, purpose, sense of belonging, your voice, and ability to feel safe in your own body. You might be searching for a sense of control, but feeling completely powerless. You escape into activities or relationships in order to feel anything at all and other times to make the feelings stop all together. You may have developed parts of yourself in order to survive, but what would life look like if you could shed old scripts and truly live a life that’s worth living?

I specialize in the assessment and treatment of behavior problems in children and adolescents, as well as depression and anxiety in individuals of all ages. I also specialize in the treatment of relationship problems and the psychological management of acute and chronic medical disorders, particularly cardiovascular disorders and encopresis. I help people gain insights into their difficulties and teach them skills that will facilitate the resolution of their difficulties. When requested, I confer with attending physicians and, in the case of minors, with their teachers and/or school social workers. I am on the medical staff of Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

I use an integrative approach to therapy with adult clients to help them explore and address sources of distress in their lives.

Welcome and best wishes on your search for help. Please know that therapy is a good option that has helped many others in difficult times. I offer a compassionate, calm and supportive environment for clients to talk about their experiences, organize their thoughts and understand their emotions. You may be struggling with behaviours that you feel are unhealthy, or emotional difficulties that are impacting functioning. Maybe it’s thoughts that are not serving you well or life events that are hard to process. You do not have to go through it alone.

Through more than 20 years of experience, I have worked extensively with individuals, couples and multi-generational families providing treatment for a wide range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. I grew up in a large & humble home; learning and understanding the complexities of dealing with different types of personalities, sometimes in difficult circumstances at an early age. My goal is to see clients do amazing work in treatment by strengthening their coping skills, removing limiting beliefs, resolving conflicts, and lifestyle changes through a positive way of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

Even the strongest people need a little bit of help to work through some of life’s more challenging problems. Everyone has hurdles to overcome, and we’d love to help you along the way. You might be initially hesitant to seek out help and support, but when you do, you will feel confident that you are taking a courageous first step towards getting to a better place and being a better you. Here at The Essence of Healing LLC, we realize that no two people are the same, and we tailor our therapy to meet your specific needs as an individual.

As a therapist who lives with ADHD, I understand and feel the challenges of life from the point of view of a neurodivergent individual. There are so many difficulties we face every day, and we are not born knowing how to use coping skills and tools to manage them. As a result, the path you’ve been on may be scary, but I want you to know that you are not alone! This is where I come in. I am a trauma-informed therapist that specializes in working with adolescents and adults who experience ADHD, trauma, PTSD, LGBTQIA+, domestic violence, and sexual assault, or are in need of crisis intervention.

Megan Wills is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who works with adults and adolescents. She practices from a relational, trauma-informed, person-centered, and intersectional feminist lens. Megan believes that the foundation of good therapy is a strong and trusting therapeutic relationship. She works to create a space where clients can experience safety, support, and unconditional positive regard, build insight into their values, and live a better life.