Anxiety and depression therapists and psychiatrists in Aurora, IL

If you’re looking for a therapist who quietly nods for 50 minutes, I may not be the best fit. My style is active, engaged, direct, and deeply relational.

I work with adolescents, adults, couples, and families navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, life transitions, and difficult interpersonal dynamics. Clients often describe feeling both genuinely supported and meaningfully challenged in our work together.

I believe therapy should help people gain insight, shift patterns, improve relationships, and move toward lasting change not just vent for an hour each week.

I believe that therapy works best when people feel understood, respected and safe. I have over 20 year of experience helping adults navigate trauma, depression, anxiety, identity exploration, grief/loss, life transitions and relationship challenges. Much of my career has been devoted to working with veterans and individuals who have faced difficult or traumatic experiences. I strongly believe in establishing a relationship of equals and mutual respect between therapist and client; one that leads to a guided journey of self-discovery and change.

Many people seek therapy when anxiety, stress, or overwhelming thoughts begin to interfere with daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. I work with clients who feel stuck in cycles of worry, overthinking, avoidance, or self-doubt, and I help them build practical tools to feel more grounded and in control.

I specialize in helping people navigate anxiety and stress-related concerns, including panic symptoms, intrusive thoughts, and repetitive worry patterns. My approach is collaborative, supportive, and focused on improving daily functioning — not just reducing symptoms.

Hello and Welcome! To summarize myself, I have been practicing psychotherapy in the Chicago area since graduating from Adler University with my Doctorate in 2014. Since then I have grown into my profession and now run a small private practice, supervise my team's coursework and proudly continue to serve my community through therapy. I am outgoing by nature and will make you feel heard and supported from the start.

My mission is to help you achieve your personal goals by providing you with healthy, productive, meaningful strategies. My experiences in substance use counseling inspired me to educate myself further and become a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. My experience in different treatment modalities allows me to apply DBT, ACT, CPT, and CBT to assist you in promoting prolonged, positive change. As a CADC, I employ Motivational Interviewing to promote awareness, change, and education.

I am an LCSW, and have been since 2014, and a LMSW for 2 years prior to that. I have a masters degree in Clinical Social work and work with individuals, couples and families. I work with those with anxiety, depression, communication issues, and most issues that we are going through currently.

Thank you for taking the first step in sharing your story—your Mental Health Matters, and you deserve to be heard, supported, and understood.

Welcome to Integrated Family Behavioral Health & Counseling PLLC! I'm Mihaela Vladu, PMHNP-BC, a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 16+ years of experience in healthcare, dedicated to helping individuals achieve lasting mental wellness and regain control of their lives.

I provide compassionate, personalized, and evidence-based care in a safe and supportive environment where you can feel heard, understood, and empowered. My approach focuses on treating the whole person—not just symptoms—while working collaboratively with you to reach your goals.

I specialize in working with a diverse range of individuals, including younger/older adults, children aged 6 and up, women dealing specifically with trauma and abuse, and veterans, as well as active-duty personnel experiencing PTSD. As a certified ADHD specialist, I provide targeted, evidence-based interventions to help individuals improve focus and daily functioning. I also have extensive experience treating bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, panic disorder, OCD, and other complex mental health conditions.

Areas of Expertise:

• Dual-Diagnosis Care (SUD + mood/anxiety​/​psychotic disorders)

• MAT: Buprenorphine​/​Suboxone inductions & maintenance; relapse-prevention planning

• Alcohol​/​Opioid Withdrawal & Detox protocols (court order MAT program, inpatient, outpatient, and halfway houses)

• Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis

• Residential​/​PHP​/​IOP programmed care & step-down planning

• Trauma-informed care, veteran populations, and complex comorbidity