As you have probably already found from your search, there are a very large number of therapists in the Chicago area. In addition to the sheer volume of counselors from which to choose, there is a confusing array of types of mental health professionals. Our therapists are licensed by the state of Illinois to provide professional counseling and mental health services to individuals, couples, families, groups, and organizations. These services include:

• Applying clinical counseling theory and techniques to prevent and alleviate mental and emotional disorders and psychopathology and to promote optimal mental health.
• Providing clinical counseling and psychotherapy to help alleviate emotional disorders; understand conscious and unconscious motivation; resolve emotional, relationship, and attitudinal conflicts; and modify behaviors that interfere with effective emotional, social, adaptive, and intellectual functioning.

To become Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, I was required to complete a rigorous graduate training program, including coursework in human growth and development; counseling theory; counseling techniques; assessment; research and evaluation; professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities; psychopathology; substance abuse; family systems; group dynamics; lifestyles and career development; and social and cultural foundations of counseling. In addition, I was required to serve clinical internships, complete over 3,300 hours of supervised experience after my graduate training, and pass two licensure examinations administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors: the National Counselor Examination and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination.

Having solid training and clinical experience is only part of what you should be looking for in a therapist.  The rest is more intangible.  Questions you might ask yourself are: Would I feel comfortable talking with this person about personal, intimate details of my life?  Does there seem to be a good fit personality-wise?  Is the therapist a good listener?  Will I feel heard?  Does this person have the life experience to be able to understand the issues I am struggling with?  Can I feel assured that I will not be judged?  Tom has the life experience to match his professional training.  With over 35 years of professional and career experience, hopefully some measure of widsom has been attained.  Tom has a warm, outgoing personality that put clients at ease.  He has experience working effectively with people from all walks of life and often has personal experience in dealing with many of the most common types of problems that his clients are confronting.

I utilize well-established cognitive techniques (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), but also draw upon emerging fields of psychotherapy such as mindfulness, attachment theory, and neurobiology. I work with clients to identify underlying (often unconscious) factors that may be contributing to unhealthy or troubling thoughts, feelings and behavior. I believe that uncovering the root causes of one’s unhappiness is essential. As a trained Jungian Psychotherapist, I strive to help my clients become their unique selves through the process of Individuation.

Although my preference is to see clients in my office if possible, teletherapy can be particularly helpful for clients who are home-bound, who have disabilities, who live a considerable distance from the therapist’s office, or who travel frequently. Because it affords greater anonymity to the client, teletherapy can also be helpful in encouraging the client to self-disclose about difficult or sensitive issues.

This is a very important, personal choice. Some women prefer to see a woman therapist; some prefer to see a male therapist. Similarly, some men want to work with a male therapist, while others have a preference for a woman therapist.  The most important factor in counseling is the relationship—the connection—between the therapist and the client, not the gender of the therapist. A woman can have a wonderful therapeutic relationship with a male therapist and an awful relationship with a female therapist or vice versa. Once a safe, trusting, nurturing therapeutic alliance is established, the issue of gender sometimes becomes less important.

This is a difficult question to answer, which depends on many factors. Most important, of course, is the nature of the presenting problem or the reason the individual is seeking counseling. In some cases, there may be a specific issue that needs to be addressed (e.g., a relationship conflict), which might lend itself to a shorter term course of treatment (e.g. 8-12 sessions). In other cases, the individual may be at a point in life where his or her established patterns of functioning do not seem to be working anymore. This situation usually requires a more in-depth psychological exploration. For better or worse, ingrained patterns of thought and behavior simply cannot be changed in a matter of weeks; considerable time and effort is required. Committing to a sustained course of treatment may be the only way of getting at the core problem, rather than just “treating the symptom.”

I typically discuss fee arrangements with new clients during the first session. I am committed, however, to providing care to those who are unable to pay my usual fee. Therefore, I set aside a certain portion of my professional time to see clients on a sliding-scale basis.

I am a participating network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield.  If you have other health insurance coverage, I would be considered an “out-of-network” provider. This does not mean, however, that you will not be reimbursed for my services. At the end of each session, I will provide you with a “superbill” that includes all of the information you need for purposes of filing a claim with your insurance company. To avoid any confusion, however, I encourage new clients to check with their insurance company to determine the level of benefits they can expect to receive.

As a licensed clinical professional counselor, I am not authorized to prescribe. In cases where I believe medication may be appropriate to consider, I will refer you to a physician for an assessment. For patients already under a physician’s care, I will work closely with that professional to ensure that care is coordinated in an efficient and professional manner.