LGBT therapists in Downers Grove, IL

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.

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.

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

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 help adults navigate anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, stress, and the effects of trauma so they can feel more balanced, confident, and in control of their lives. If you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or like the patterns in your life are no longer working, therapy can help you gain clarity, recognize your strengths, and create meaningful change. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.

My name is Alicia Ali. I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over a decade of experience in my field. I enjoy working with people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community as they navigate life’s challenges and rediscover their best self. I specialize in helping clients manage work/life stressors, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues.

As a licensed clinical social worker, I've spent my career working alongside people

who've often felt unseen, underserved, or unsupported by the systems meant to help

them. I specialize in working with adolescents and adults in marginalized communities

navigating identity, mental health, relationships, and trauma. My approach is

grounded in genuine curiosity about who you are, not just what brings you in. You'll

find a space built on empathy and empowerment, where you can show up exactly as

you are. I'd love to connect.

With more than 30 years of experience, I've helped individuals navigate anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and life's many transitions with compassion, understanding, and practical support.

I know reaching out for help isn't always easy. My goal is to create a safe, welcoming space where you feel heard, supported, and empowered to move toward greater confidence, healing, and peace of mind.

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 lot of men arrive in therapy through anger, because it is often the only feeling they were ever given permission to have. If that is you, or if the anxiety has been running underneath everything for years, or if something happened to you that you have never said out loud, you are in the right place. I'm Dr. Justin D. Gravely-Strayhorn, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I earned my Master of Social Work from Campbellsville University and my Doctor of Education from Liberty University. I work with adults on anxiety, depression, trauma, anger, relationships, and the particular weight men carry when they have been taught that handling it alone is the same thing as being strong. Culture is part of that conversation, not separate from it. What shaped you, what was expected of you, and what it costs to keep performing being fine all belong in the room. My approach combines evidence-based therapy with compassion, cultural awareness, and a holistic view of wellness. I believe growth happens when we feel seen, supported, and empowered to rewrite our stories.