Anxiety and depression therapists and psychiatrists in Buffalo Grove, IL

I believe the relationship between a client and therapist is most important. It takes courage to show up and be honest about where you are and I take that trust seriously. My job is to show up just as honestly, and to meet you exactly where you are in this moment of your life.

Life is a journey with many unexpected setbacks, life challenges and experiences. I am here to help you manage your journey. My practice is dedicated to providing quality mental health care to help people achieve goals or master skills aimed toward improving their quality of life. I've been a practitioner for 22 years.

I am a compassionate psychiatric provider that is dedicated to my practice. I started my psychiatric career as a technician in forensic psychiatry. I worked with individuals who had comitted crimes and were either attempting to determine competency, or were found not guilty by reason of insanity. As my education blossomed, I began working as a nurse on a child and adolescent crisis stabilization unit. I found a massive love for child and adolescent psychiatry and spent most of my career working crisis stabilization and residential psychiatric care for children and adolescents. This gave me significant experience working with many different cultures. After I graduated with my doctorate, I began working psychiatric outpatient. I now see patients of all ages (children 4+, adolescents, adults and geriatric). I thrive on a strong therapeutic relationship and making sure my patients feel heard. I am open minded and non-bias. You are safe with me.

With a nursing career spanning since 2008, I have dedicated over 15 years to understanding the complexities of patient care. After earning my Master’s Degree in 2021, I transitioned into advanced psychiatric practice in 2022. Having served in both fast-paced inpatient units and collaborative outpatient clinics, I offer a well-rounded perspective on mental health. My background allows me to blend clinical expertise with a deeply rooted compassion for the human experience.

Hello,

I believe prioritizing Mental Health is key to healthy living. I am a board certified family and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 8 years of experience as a nurse practitioner. Admitting the need for help and taking the first step to finding help can be challenging. I commend you for that! My focus has been on teen's and adults struggling with anxiety and depression.

I believe therapy should be a space where you feel both supported and empowered. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in respect for your lived experience, while also gently challenging patterns that may be keeping you stuck. I specialize in working with individuals navigating chronic illness, grief and loss,substance use and major life transitions including aging and caregivers stress, and I am deeply committed to culturally responsive and anti-oppressive care. In our work together, you can expect honesty, compassion, and a strengths-based focus that helps you better understand yourself and build resilience. My goal is to support you in creating meaningful change so you can move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and a stronger sense of self.

I’m Emily, a licensed psychotherapist and Clinical Social Worker with a specialization in healthcare from Aurora University. I have extensive experience across various levels of care—including inpatient psychiatric settings, residential treatment, PHP/IOP, and community mental health—I have dedicated my career to supporting individuals facing co-occurring disorders, addiction, eating disorders, and trauma.

Through my work with complex cases, I have observed that many challenges are deeply rooted in trauma and systemic issues.

I have been working in the field of mental health since 2004 and obtained my Masters Degree in 2013. My specialties are working with the LGBTQ+ community (I am nonbinary and queer, so if you agree with anything anti-LGBTQ I am not going to be a good fit for you) and have worked with a wide range of diagnostics. My approach is generally to treat someones symptoms to work toward achieving goals rather than leaning heavily on a diagnostic. Please see my personal website if you would like to learn more: https://kimberbrightheartlcsw.my.canva.site/#experience-and-services