Grief counselors and therapists in Buffalo Grove, IL

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.

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 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.

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 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

When stress starts to build, it can affect more than just your day-to-day life. It can impact your mood, your energy, and your relationships. I work with adults and couples who are navigating anxiety, depression, workplace stress, and burnout. You might feel constantly overwhelmed, mentally exhausted, or like you can’t fully “turn off” your mind. At the same time, stress can begin to show up in your relationships through miscommunication, distance, or frustration, making it harder to feel connected and supported.

My name is Najm Zaman, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) dedicated to helping individuals navigate life’s challenges, heal from trauma, and build lasting resilience.

My professional journey spans over 15 years across clinical practice, healthcare operations, and community leadership. I hold both a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Adelphi University. Throughout my career, I have served in diverse roles—from supervising foster care programs to leading community-based non-profit organizations and wellness initiatives. This background allows me to understand my clients not just in isolation, but within the broader context of their environments, families, and communities.

While I work with a wide range of individuals, my primary areas of specialization include:

• Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
• Anxiety and Mood Management
• Life Transitions and Identity Development
• Youth, Young Adult, and Family Dynamics

I offer a kind, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where you can show up exactly as you are. Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, emotionally drained, or unsure how to move forward. You may be dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, relationship issues, or simply the weight of trying to hold everything together on your own. My goal is to help you feel safe, heard, and supported as we work through what is weighing on you. Therapy with me is about creating a space where you do not have to have all the answers right away - just a willingness to begin.

My style is eclectic and strength based. I see human nature as intrinsically good. Sigmund Freud said we are bio-social animals. I believe a great deal in listening to one’s self talk. The more positive our dialogue with ourselves is, the more positive our dialogues with others and our lives are. I’m also experienced in CBT, DBT, MI, Solution Focused, ACT, Gestalt, Interpersonal, and person-centered counseling.

My training includes lots of wonderful supervision and workshops, a three-year certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Chicago, and two one month intensives with Virginia Satir, the founder of family therapy. Virginia taught that exploring the self is like mining gold. We all have gold inside of us. That is our basic goodness. A lot of emotional suffering is the result of being detoured from that basic goodness.

A Grounded Space For Clarity and Support

Welcome- I'm glad you're here. I'm a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and board-certified, registered art therapist (ATR-BC) with a masters degree in art therapy, and over 20 years of experience providing individual therapy to adults. I work with people navigating anxiety, grief, life transitions, and long-standing emotional patterns. I offer a grounded, relational style that supports both coping and deeper self-understanding.