LGBT therapists in Saint Charles, IL

I have 26 years of experience dealing with individuals, couples, families in therapy. We will work together to develop plans that are unique and right for you.

I know starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve felt misunderstood in the past.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience in behavioral health, and I hold a Doctor of Social Work (DSW). I specialize in childhood trauma, anxiety, burnout, and working with neurodivergent individuals, including ADHD and autism. I often support people who feel overwhelmed, stuck in survival mode, or exhausted from masking and holding everything together on their own.

My style is warm and down to earth, and I focus on meeting you where you are in each session. Therapy with me is collaborative and flexible, shaped around what works best for you. My goal is to offer a space where you feel safe, understood, and supported as you work toward meaningful change.

⭐ I’m Shelly Lewin, LCSW/LICSW, a therapist with 31 years of experience helping adults navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, identity issues, and major life transitions. I provide virtual therapy across Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, and West Virginia, offering accessible, evidence‐based care to clients seeking meaningful and lasting change. I have 30+ years of experience in private practice and leadership roles at organizations including:

• The Joint Commission
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital
• Kaiser Permanente
• Common Spirit
• Mount Sinai Health System

This background allows me to offer deep clinical expertise paired with practical, real‐world understanding of how people heal and grow. My approach is warm, collaborative, open‐minded, and affirming. If you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or ready for change, I’m here to walk beside you with steady support and clinically grounded guidance. I specialize in therapy for adults experiencing:

• Anxiety & panic disorders
• Depression & mood disorders
• PTSD and trauma recovery
• Substance use and addiction
• LGBTQIA+ affirmative care
• Men’s issues & identity exploration
• Life and career transitions
• Chronic illness & long-term stress

Additional areas of expertise include: Bipolar disorder, OCD, grief & loss, workplace stress, anger management, cultural/ethnic identity issues, expat adjustment, relationship issues, family challenges, and end-of-life concerns

I am a clinical psychologist licensed in California and Illinois, and can see clients from both states. I support clients with variety of mental health conditions such as mood disorders, relationships issues, addictions, stress management, sport and performance psychology and health behaviors, trauma, insomnia and eating disorders. My therapy style is personable, connected, focused, and attuned.

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.

If you’re looking for a therapist who quietly nods for 50 minutes, I may not be the best fit. My style is active, engaged, direct, and deeply relational.

I work with adolescents, adults, couples, and families navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, life transitions, and difficult interpersonal dynamics. Clients often describe feeling both genuinely supported and meaningfully challenged in our work together.

I believe therapy should help people gain insight, shift patterns, improve relationships, and move toward lasting change not just vent for an hour each week.

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.

Are you looking for a therapist who understands your culture and speaks your language? I can help. I am fluent in Spanish, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and German.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor with 40 years of clinical experience. I work with adults, children, and adolescents, and I value each person’s cultural background, identity, and lived experience.

First things first, it is vital to me that you, my future clients, know that I feel honored to hold space for you. I am confident in my ability to uphold my responsibility to you, but one thing that providing patient care for 22 years has taught me is that you, the patient, is the best informant to your care. It is of utmost importance that my clients feel safe, heard, and respected.

I believe one of the most courageous things you can do is begin to understand your own story.

My goal is to create a safe, grounded, and trusting space where you can begin your process of healing and growth. I work collaboratively with you to build a relationship that feels supportive, attuned, and meaningful—so you can explore what’s been weighing on you and move toward real, lasting change.

My work is rooted in supporting adults navigating trauma and its impact on emotional, relational, and day-to-day functioning. I use an individualized, evidence-based approach, integrating modalities such as CBT, DBT, ACT, and trauma-focused therapies to ensure your care is tailored specifically to you.

I have worked with individuals, families, and diverse populations across multiple settings, including private practice, hospitals, and community-based programs.

I earned my Master’s in Counseling Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, with a concentration in Trauma and Crisis Intervention. Prior to this, I obtained my MD from Garyunis University in Benghazi, where I began my career as a psychiatrist, working in high-intensity and war-affected environments. That experience shaped my deep commitment to understanding trauma and the human capacity for resilience.

Since then, my work has expanded across different countries and clinical settings, including private practice, hospitals, and advocacy programs addressing domestic violence, sexual trauma, and gender-based violence.

What I value most in this work is witnessing your growth—supporting you in making sense of your experiences, reconnecting with yourself, and stepping into a more grounded, meaningful life.

Hi there! I'm a licensed clinical social worker and therapist. I value authenticity, relationships, and curiosity; values that inspired me to pursue this career. I have previous experience as a homeless outreach worker, medical social worker, and IOP/PHP therapist. Prior to going to grad school, I got an Environmental Engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I later rode a bike across the country, moved to Honduras, and worked as a musician & teaching artist in Chicago & suburban schools.