Find a therapist in Oak Park, IL — covered by insurance

I began working broadly in this field nearly 30 years ago and became a licensed clinical social worker 20 years ago. Along with completing a masters degree in social work from the University of Illinois, Chicago, I hold a masters degree in fine art in drawing and painting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I believe these areas of study have come to inform my practice in obvious and sometimes less obvious ways.

I began my private practice in 2014 specializing in a harm reduction and moderation as apt responses to problematic substance use, as defined by those seeking my help.

Largely in response to the evolving relationships with my clients and referrals that often came in for friends and family of previous clients, I've come to work with trauma survivors, people identifying difficulty establishing stable relationships in social and professional settings, and people addressing loneliness and mood dysregulation.

I have 16 years of experience in the counseling field and am trained in integrative approaches including EMDR, Brainspotting, somatic and body-based therapies, and mindfulness-based interventions. I am dedicated to helping clients heal through a holistic approach that supports the mind, body, and spirit. My goal is to help individuals develop greater self-awareness, resilience, and lasting emotional well-being

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.

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years of clinical experience. I am passionate about helping others overcome the anxiety, depression, and trauma that impact their lives. I've worked in education, government, and hospital settings, and I am a former U.S. Marine. I bring depth, knowledge and experience to each session and use them to help promote and support healing for my clients.

Hey there! I’m Briana Kesterson, LCSW.

I’m a licensed therapist offering individual and family therapy in Illinois, supporting people who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected from themselves. I have a Bachelor's in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois and a Master's in Social Work from Aurora University.

I work with children, teens, adults, and families navigating anxiety, emotional overwhelm, life transitions, relationship challenges, and self worth struggles. Many of my clients come in feeling “too much” or “not enough” and together, we begin to understand how to better support the parts of you that learned to cope and protect just to survive.

Motherhood changes you—but that doesn't mean you have to lose yourself along the way.

Whether you're preparing to welcome your first baby, adjusting to life with a newborn, juggling the demands of raising children, navigating divorce while parenting, or wondering who you are now that your children need you less, every stage of motherhood brings new challenges. These transitions can leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected, or uncertain about what's next. You don't have to figure it out alone.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over ten years of experience, working with adults and couples in individual therapy. I draw from Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to support clients facing ADHD, anxiety, depression, domestic violence, grief and loss, self injury, spirituality, substance use, and trauma or PTSD.