Grief counselors and therapists in Arlington Heights, IL

Welcome — I'm so glad you're here! With 23 years of experience as a school social worker, I am passionate about helping children, adolescents, and families navigate life's challenges and build the skills needed to thrive at home, school and in their communities. I work with children and teens ages 3-17, as well as parents and caregivers who are seeking support, guidance, and practical strategies to strengthen family relationships, work through family conflicts and improve daily functioning. My goal is to help build the necessary skills to strengthen relationships and homeostasis within family structures and the individual.

I specialize in working with neurodivergent children, adolescents, and families including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), social-communication challenges, anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties, and behavioral challenges. I also specialize in working with high conflict family dynamics which include parent-child relationships, divorce (for families that are both in and/or out of the family court system), sibling rivalry, and multicultural child rearing.

Hi, I'm Maurissa. Much of my background has involved work with people on the Autism spectrum and I found that they struggle with the same things that many people do, including grief, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, etc. My experience with people on the spectrum has helped me to provide an open perspective to work with those struggling with emotional regulation and different ways of thinking.

I've devoted a decade of my career helping parents learn how to best help their children. And another decade helping adults in an out-patient partial hospitalization program. These are the moments when people have felt the most vulnerable and in need of something more than what they are already trying to manage their mental health. Hopefully, my experience and tools that I've gathered working across the age groups and in a more intense level of care can help you build your own toolbox.

My approach blends clinical rigor with genuine warmth. I ask a lot of questions, not to check boxes, but because I want to understand the full picture of your life, biology, and history before we decide on a path forward. I'm not interested in just managing symptoms; I want to understand the root of what's going on — whether that's biological, situational, relational, or some combination- so that treatment actually addresses the cause, not just the surface presentation. Clients often describe our sessions as feeling more like being truly listened to than being processed through an appointment. As an integrative provider, medication is one tool among several we might use, and I stay curious rather than settling for the first explanation.

I am a solution focused therapist with 39 years of experience. My therapy style is cognitive, interactive, compassionate, and, if need be, challenging. I believe effective therapy should produce change, not just insight. I will listen to you deeply, help conceptualize the problems, patterns, and dynamics which are causing you trouble, and give you feedback. Together, we will develop a strategy for more effective functioning and a better quality of life. therapy.

I do not do phone consultations.