LGBT therapists in Joliet, IL

Hello! My name is Ryan (she/her/hers) I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with years of experience providing trauma-informed care, CBT, crisis intervention and case management. My treatment particularly focuses on trauma, managing stress and anxiety.

I am committed to culturally responsive, evidence-based care that honors each client's unique story. I am experienced in collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, advocating for client access to resources, and supporting clients through crisis and long-term growth.

I have been practicing since 2012, after being clinically trained at Loyola University Chicago, where I spent extensive time working with both adolescents and adults.

I have been helping clients globally with a variety of issues in my core areas of expertise, including addiction, mood disorders, and identity issues.

I am also certified in Financial Social Work, bridging my passions for personal finance and emotional well-being.

You shouldn’t have to spend half of therapy explaining your disability, neurodivergence, or why certain things are harder for you than they might be for someone else. I’m a totally blind therapist, and I specialize in working with disabled and neurodivergent people. My approach is disability-affirming and neurodivergent-affirming, which means I’m not here to teach you how to mask better or treat parts of who you are as something that needs to be fixed. I want therapy to be a place where you can be yourself and feel understood. I also work with people dealing with anxiety, burnout, major life changes, difficult relationships, and complex family dynamics. A lot of my work focuses on things like boundaries, self-advocacy, confidence, emotional regulation, and figuring out how to navigate relationships or systems that don’t always understand your needs. I especially enjoy working with people who have spent a lot of their lives feeling misunderstood. I also work with parents and caregivers of disabled and neurodivergent children who are dealing with stress, advocacy, changing family roles, or simply trying to balance caring for someone else with taking care of themselves. My style is warm, straightforward, and collaborative. I’m not going to sit silently and expect you to figure everything out on your own. We’ll talk things through, look at what is and isn’t working, and find practical strategies that actually make sense for your life. Whether you’ve been disabled your whole life, are adjusting to a new diagnosis or disability, are trying to better understand your neurodivergence, or are dealing with complicated family or relationship dynamics, you don’t have to have everything figured out before reaching out.

With over a decade of psychiatric nursing experience, I've built a practice around making people feel truly understood from the very first conversation. I'm fluent in English, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu, and I've found that meeting someone in their first language changes everything about how safe they feel opening up. I work with adults and teens navigating anxiety, depression, substance use, and eating disorders, combining medication management with therapeutic support to care for the whole person. My practice is fully virtual, so you can access care from wherever feels most comfortable for you.

I have provided counseling services for over 20 years, helping clients work through trauma, PTSD, anxiety, panic, stress, family challenges, and women’s issues. I specialize in supporting people who feel stuck in painful memories, overwhelmed by anxiety, or disconnected from themselves after difficult life experiences. My approach is compassionate, non-judgmental, and deeply respectful of each person’s story. I believe healing often involves more than traditional talk therapy, which is why I incorporate approaches that support the mind, body, and spirit. I am an EMDRIA Certified Therapist and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and I use EMDR, somatic therapy, attachment-based therapy, interpersonal therapy, and other trauma-informed approaches to help clients move toward relief and healing. When we work together, you can expect a caring space where you are accepted as you are and supported at a pace that feels safe.

Hi, my name is Dr. Mark Aghakhan and I am a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in a variety of therapeutic, educative, consultative, and evaluative services. I utilize interventions that best match my client’s style and approach toward everyday challenges.

I specialize in helping adults who live with trauma, anxiety, depression, and OCD. I draw from ACT, EMDR, embodiment practices, and parts work, and I am neurodivergent‐friendly and LGBTQIA+ affirming. I also have experience supporting clients through psychosis, grief, chronic health issues, spiritual trauma, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.

At the core of my work is a belief that every person has the capacity to choose who they become. As Jean‐Paul Sartre wrote, “We are constantly creating ourselves through action.” I see therapy as a space where you can explore that creation with support, clarity, and intention.

If you're an adult navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD or relationship stress — and maybe feeling like

no one quite understands where you're coming from — you're in the right place. I've been

practicing for 15 years across community and clinical settings, working with adults and older

adults on mood, relationships, and the weight of everyday life. I'm bilingual in English and

Spanish, have lived abroad, and genuinely enjoy working with people from a wide

range of cultural backgrounds. You don't have to explain your world to me — I'm here to

understand it.