Find a therapist in Illinois — covered by insurance

My name is Carolyn and I am a clinical social worker. Please know that I am a solution focused, trusted professional who you will find easy to talk to. I have worked with many clients and have been successful meeting their needs and helping them through difficult times. I provide individual sessions with children and adults, as well as sessions with couples and families . I‘m a great listener and I provide evidence based strategies/interventions to support my clients . Let’s get started

My name is Nicole Washington, and while my full name is Catherine Nicole Washington, I’ve always gone by my middle name. (A fun fact: I didn’t even realize Catherine was my first name until kindergarten—I thought my mom was Catherine and my name was “Cole” because that’s what everyone called me!)

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with over 10 years of experience in the mental health field. I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling from Capella University, driven by a lifelong desire to help others—one that was deeply shaped by my own personal journey with mental health challenges. I believe healing is possible, not just because I’ve studied it, but because I’ve lived it.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including partial hospitalization programs, and I have experience supporting children, adolescents, and adults. My background also includes work with domestic violence survivors, DCFS-involved families, group therapy, and individuals navigating complex life transitions. Oh and I’m also a the spouse of a Veteran. Which gives me a unique perspective of the challenges that military family’s may encounter. These diverse experiences allow me to meet clients where they are—with compassion, understanding, and respect.

I offer support and skills to those exploring identity, intimacy, or relational complexity—whether in gender, sexuality, kink, or deocolonized relationships. They may be sitting with grief, unraveling the impact of trauma, or feeling the weight of past experiences in their body. They long for connection but struggle with vulnerability, trust, or belonging. Some feel stuck in cycles of overwhelm, while others are questioning the stories they’ve been told about who they are. They seek a space where they can be seen without judgment, process their experiences, and make sense of the systems shaping their lives.

It’s exhausting when your own mind feels like a hurdle. Maybe you’re navigating intrusive thoughts that feel impossible to shut off, or you’re struggling to get things done and remember what’s important while your brain feels like it’s constantly misfiring. Perhaps you’re grieving a version of yourself that felt certain, watching the life you planned get derailed by chronic illness or the weight of a diagnosis you didn’t ask for. When your "to-do" list feels like a mountain and your past keeps creeping into your present, it’s easy to feel lost or, worse, dismissed by the people who are supposed to help.

Welcome! Join me on a journey to reclaim your sense of self, direction and empowerment. As a person who has struggled with life's hardships, I am compeled to help others in these difficult times. My credentials include; Licensed Professional Counselor (LCPC), Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADC) and an Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professional (ICDVP).

As a licensed therapist with over three decades of experience, I specialize in supporting individuals through life's complex challenges. My practice centers on helping clients navigate stress, anxiety, family dynamics, grief, and significant life transitions. I have worked with a vast population: healthcare, residential, mental health and the unhoused.

“Only those who sow seeds of change can hope to grow and reap a harvest.”

-Andrea Goeglein

My greatest joy comes from guiding folks into an organic + compassionate practice of fiercely approaching vulnerability + embodying whole-hearted living. My goal is to create brave, inclusive spaces in order to allow for radiant expression, courageous liberation, + uplifting connection.

During my college years, I discovered Psychology + started working in the therapeutic movement realm of Dance in Medicine. My work with people living with movement disorders such as Parkinson's Disease + terminal illnesses such as cancer + dementia initiated me on the path to pursue Dance/Movement Therapy.

I graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2013 with a Master of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy + Counseling. I also received the Graduate Laban Certificate in Movement Analysis.

Since 2013, my field experience includes extensive work with women + girls recovering from eating disorders, addictive behaviors, + traumatic experiences; at-risk youth integrating back into society; elderly + adult populations living with movement disorders + levels of neurodivergence; + adults who identify as highly sensitive persons (HSPs), looking for support with spiritual integration + body-based work.

I specialize in offering transpersonal, integrative counseling with a somatic approach to human resilience, post-traumatic growth, + addiction recovery.

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, Certified Reiki Master Teacher, + DONA trained Birth Doula.

Hi there, I’m Shelia

Do you feel like the weight of the world is weighing you down? Life’s struggles are becoming unmanageable? Managing family, relationships and job is getting too hard?

I help clients find a healthy perception of themselves and strengthen their relationships. We can partner to identify what works and what doesn’t to create a new path that works better. I have experience with individual, family, and group modalities and will use an integrative approach based on your needs. This may include: client-centered, mindfulness, solution focused, and trauma-informed techniques.

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.