Depression Therapists in Illinois

My approach to depression is proactive, holistic, and deeply collaborative. I view depression not as a permanent personal flaw, but as a heavy, exhausting fog that disconnects you from your energy, your relationships, and your sense of purpose. Because depression naturally drains your motivation, my approach does not wait for you to "feel like" doing something; instead, we focus on using actions to change how you feel from the outside in.

I'm passionate about helping adults navigate life's most challenging moments—whether that's managing anxiety and depression, working through relationship strain, recovering from burnout, or adapting to major transitions. I've spent years in executive leadership, which deepened my understanding of how stress, identity, and systemic pressures shape our wellbeing. That experience informs my clinical work today. I draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relational approaches, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to help you identify practical tools while honoring what matters most to you. I work with men's issues, stress, and the unique struggles many adults face in their professional and personal lives. I offer telehealth sessions and am currently accepting new clients. If you're ready to explore what's possible, I'm here to support you.

I approach depression with curiosity, compassion, and an understanding that each person’s experience is different. Together, we explore what may be contributing to depressive symptoms, including relationship patterns, emotional invalidation, life circumstances, and the ways a person may have learned to view themselves. Therapy focuses on developing greater self-compassion, reconnecting with personal needs and values, and identifying patterns that may be keeping clients stuck. Progress may look like having greater clarity about your experiences, trusting yourself more, feeling less weighed down by self-criticism, and gaining the confidence to make meaningful changes in your life and relationships.

I’m an LCSW with nearly 20 years of experience working across outpatient therapy, school-based settings, home-based services, crisis intervention, and telehealth. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with people across a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and life circumstances, which has taught me to quickly understand what each person needs and adapt accordingly. My particular area of focus is relational trauma, especially the lasting impact of manipulation, control, emotional invalidation, and difficult family dynamics. I work with adults who may have spent years questioning themselves, over-explaining, people-pleasing, feeling responsible for other people’s emotions, or struggling to trust their own perceptions. I have a particular interest in helping adults of manipulative or narcissistic parents, partners, or caregivers understand these patterns and begin to reclaim a stronger sense of self. Clients often describe feeling supported and understood rather than judged. My goal is not simply to help someone cope with what is happening, but to help them develop greater clarity about their experiences and relationships, recognize patterns that may no longer serve them, develop greater compassion for themselves, and build the confidence and courage to make meaningful changes. I believe therapy should be collaborative and individualized. I respect each client’s values, beliefs, spirituality, culture, and perspective on what healing and wellness mean to them, and I work with clients to identify approaches that feel both supportive and genuinely useful within the systems they are part of.

Thank you for considering me as your partner in health. In my practice, I strive to foster a nurturing environment where mutual understanding is the cornerstone of our partnership. I am deeply committed to a holistic care philosophy that acknowledges and respects the intricate tapestry of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects that make you unique.

I am an experienced board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 17 years in clinical experience. I provide psychiatric evaluation & medication management for all needs that impact mental health. With a comprehensive approach, I support adults and children through their unique journeys toward mental wellness. I treat a wide range of conditions: ADHD, Anxiety, Panic, Trauma, Depression, Bipolar disorder, Mood disorders, Eating Disorders, PTSD, OCD, Insomnia, and more. I specialize in working with clients with High Clinical Acuity and Recent Hospitalization.  Website: http://adewellhealthmentalsvcs.com