Grief counselors and therapists in Arlington Heights, IL

You want more than symptom management. You're not just looking for coping strategies. You want to understand yourself. You want to grieve fully, not efficiently. You want a therapeutic relationship that can hold complexity, contradiction, and mystery. You want someone who won't rush you toward resolution before you're ready, and who trusts that you have within you what healing requires. You want to be seen, not diagnosed, not fixed, but genuinely witnessed.

I'm a licensed clinical professional counselor with over 25 years of experience, and grief is at the heart of my work. I understand grief not as a problem to be solved but as a profound human process, one that touches identity, relationship, body, and spirit all at once. I'm also a certified grief educator, which means I bring both clinical depth and real psychoeducational grounding to our work together.

Welcome! I'm Brianne (many of my younger clients know me as Ms. Brie), founder of Imagination Grove Play Therapy.

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist with more than 20 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families.

Throughout my career, I've specialized in helping individuals navigate anxiety, ADHD, autism, emotional regulation challenges, trauma, relationship concerns, life transitions, and social difficulties. My background as a school social worker has provided extensive experience collaborating with families, educators, physicians, and multidisciplinary teams to support children across home and school settings while also deepening my understanding of the unique challenges families face.

Whether you're seeking support for your child, yourself, or your family, I know reaching out for help can feel overwhelming. My goal is to provide a warm, welcoming space where every client feels safe, understood, and empowered to grow. I believe healing happens through connection, curiosity, and meeting each person where they are. Together, we'll build on strengths, navigate challenges, and create meaningful, lasting change.

I believe that therapy works best when people feel understood, respected and safe. I have over 20 year of experience helping adults navigate trauma, depression, anxiety, identity exploration, grief/loss, life transitions and relationship challenges. Much of my career has been devoted to working with veterans and individuals who have faced difficult or traumatic experiences. I strongly believe in establishing a relationship of equals and mutual respect between therapist and client; one that leads to a guided journey of self-discovery and change.

Thank you for taking the first step in sharing your story—your Mental Health Matters, and you deserve to be heard, supported, and understood.

Welcome to Integrated Family Behavioral Health & Counseling PLLC! I'm Mihaela Vladu, PMHNP-BC, a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 16+ years of experience in healthcare, dedicated to helping individuals achieve lasting mental wellness and regain control of their lives.

I provide compassionate, personalized, and evidence-based care in a safe and supportive environment where you can feel heard, understood, and empowered. My approach focuses on treating the whole person—not just symptoms—while working collaboratively with you to reach your goals.

I specialize in working with a diverse range of individuals, including younger/older adults, children aged 6 and up, women dealing specifically with trauma and abuse, and veterans, as well as active-duty personnel experiencing PTSD. As a certified ADHD specialist, I provide targeted, evidence-based interventions to help individuals improve focus and daily functioning. I also have extensive experience treating bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, panic disorder, OCD, and other complex mental health conditions.

Areas of Expertise:

• Dual-Diagnosis Care (SUD + mood/anxiety​/​psychotic disorders)

• MAT: Buprenorphine​/​Suboxone inductions & maintenance; relapse-prevention planning

• Alcohol​/​Opioid Withdrawal & Detox protocols (court order MAT program, inpatient, outpatient, and halfway houses)

• Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis

• Residential​/​PHP​/​IOP programmed care & step-down planning

• Trauma-informed care, veteran populations, and complex comorbidity