We are the Center for Emotional Wellness Northwest Suburbs

The Leading Counseling Center of the Northwest Suburbs

We are here as supportive guides to help navigate challenges and obstacles as we find the way to emotional wellness

Everyone experiences life uniquely. We understand circumstances can be difficult, stressful and even tough to manage. Our approach is holistic and encourages treatment focused on strengthening the mind, body and spirit using evidence-based practices that are meaningful and healing.

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… not only the typical friends and homework stress that face children, but the added anxiety of social media and seeing what their friends are doing every minute, the increased demands of sports teams being so competitive at a very young age, and the stress of being successful in school to be accepted into the right college, just to name just a few. We have referred numerous students to the Center, they are a talented group of professionals. They work with children to develop the skills needed to make it through periods of crisis and learn and practice the skill set needed to manage their anxieties for their lifetime. They are the best!

At one of the lowest points in my daughter’s life, she didn’t think she could get up to face another day. She was a straight A over achiever who had succeeded at everything she had tried. She got to a point in high school that it all just got too much – the late nights of unending studying, the papers that weren’t quite perfect, the stress of potentially handing in something that wasn’t quite perfect. She couldn’t keep it up any more, and she shut down. It took the Center for Emotional Wellness to help her realize that perfection was not achievable. They used many strategies to reach her and help her realize that she was enough just as she was. With their help, she learned to manage her anxiety and perfectionist tendencies to help her function at her best. She is now a very successful college student who manages school, an internship, a college sports team, volunteering and, best of all, she finds time to relax and enjoy life and friends. They helped her find balance and learn to accept herself and let others around her know before she gets to a level of anxiety that she cannot handle. Many, many thanks to The Center!

Cannot recommend the fabulous therapists at Center for Emotional Wellness more highly. They have not only helped my children navigate through the social, health and emotional issues that many tweens and teenagers have to deal with these days, but also guided the whole family on how to work through these tough situations together. A totally holistic approach. If it wasn't for them, I am positive we would not have the happy, healthy and confident children we have today.

My therapist was caring and compassionate, and made me feel validated. My therapist helped me in a short period of time and taught me skills that I have already started to apply in my daily life.

Areas of Practice

Child & Adolescent Therapy

Treatment is aimed to improve problem-solving skills, encourage effective communication and teach healthy ways to manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. At the Center, we assess each child and adolescent’s level of emotional maturity, and work to set goals that will increase emotional functioning and maturity, such as teaching skills to manage distress, regulate emotions, and learn to communicate effectively.Child counseling, in particular, can be different from traditional counseling since children may struggle communicating their experiences. Play therapy is a common technique that may be used to assist a child in expressing their thoughts, feelings and experiences.

LGBTQIA+ Services

Our therapists take an approach with LGBTQIA+ identifying clients that is affirming and strength based. Our approach is integrative and together we customize exercises that will nurture a variety of life circumstances. During the process we will help you reprocess old messages, through a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to explore thought patterns, unhelpful thinking, and cognitive distortions. These thought patterns can have a direct impact on our emotions, feelings, and actions, therefore we can re-frame them and start to re-process them. Oftentimes, we find clients have consistent messaging around, “I should, “I must”, or “I can’t” and these can be what are defined as “shaming” messages. We work to remove shame and build new confidence. Our goal is to support you in building confidence by learning who you are. Our team will work with you to learn to respect yourself by having healthy boundaries in your life and accepting yourself without judgment.

Relationships & Family Therapy

Couples therapy consists of a couple coming in together to address issues related to the marriage/relationship, or that are impacting the relationship. At times sessions will be conducted with both partners present, while at other times individual sessions may be used. A variety of issues can be addressed in couples therapy; the issues to be addressed are mutually decided upon by the couple and the therapist. Initially sessions are held weekly, but may decrease in frequency as progress is made.

The function of family therapy is to help provide a safe space for skill building and role negotiation. Family therapy is meant to empower family members as they work together to identify and manage inevitable life transitions, daily stresses, and significant conflicts that are often reflective of individual family member frustrations. Family therapy seeks to assist in resolving conflict between family members or when conflict arises simply from one family member’s behavior negatively impacting another family member. Family therapy is also used to help family members adjust to changes that a person in therapy is making. Family therapy may consist of all family members being present or just some; different sessions may also have different family members present. Initially sessions are held weekly, but may decrease in frequency as progress is made.

Adult Therapy

Treatment is directed at supporting adults working through unique challenges and periods of transition or loss. Our therapists will work to help you balance family, friends and/or work, while maintaining your overall physical and emotional health. Our team will help by assessing your overall needs and developing a customized support plan to help you continue and/or return to living your best life. Our essential mental health services, including adult counseling services, tele-health services, and family-focused counseling aim to promote emotional, spiritual and physical wellness.