Family therapy and counseling in Schaumburg, IL

I am a social worker and grief counselor, with over 6 years experience working with bereaved clients. I am also a director of mental health education for a grief focused non-profit, creating programs that educate on grief & loss awareness. While grief is my main focus, I hold a special place in my heart for all life transitions, including job/career changes, spiritual adjustments/abuse, and relationship losses.

Life can be overwhelming. Feeling alone while struggling can compound that sense of despair. Whether you're experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, loss, trauma, divorce, career challenges, health issues, addiction, or even just confusion about the future, seeking help is the beginning of the change. As a career woman, licensed attorney, mother, divorcee, and active community member, I bring my own life experience and vast education to my work. We can figure out a plan together to make navigating the day-to-day more manageable.

I believe people can change, no matter how stuck they feel. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, relationship struggles, or substance use, my goal is to provide a place where you feel heard, challenged, and supported. I use practical, evidence-based approaches like CBT, REBT, and Motivational Interviewing to help you build lasting change. Therapy changed my own life, and I'm passionate about helping others find hope, healing, and a path forward.

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.

Dr. Christina Alexakos is a Clinical Psychologist with over 19 years of experience

providing psychotherapy to individuals across the lifespan from childhood to geriatric.

She has experience in assisting clients with adjustment issues ranging from changes in

occupation, education, grief, relocation, providing skills in parenting, stress and pain

management, health and wellness, mindfulness, increasing self-esteem and

assertiveness. She has worked with anxiety and depressive disorders, bipolar disorder,

trauma, anger management, personality disorders, and severe mental illness.

Dr. Christina Alexakos earned her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology

from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She provided inpatient

psychological assessments and group psychotherapy at Hartgrove Psychiatric Hospital.

She trained in Health Psychology in the pain clinic at Swedish Covenant Hospital as

well as providing inpatient and outpatient psychotherapy to hospital patients. The

University of Chicago and The University of Illinois at Chicago provided comprehensive

training in neuropsychological evaluations with adults and children experiencing a wide

range of clinical concerns. She completed an internship at Southlake Community Mental

Health Center and a postdoctoral fellowship at Hopewell Academies, a therapeutic day

school for special needs/troubled teenagers.

I have been a licensed clinical social worker for over 30 years bringing broad experience and perspective to my sessions. I believe that joining with a client is paramount to establishing trust. Trusting that your provider cares for you, has your best interest at heart and provides you with reasonable and doable solutions is key to growth. If we don’t connect, no harm/no foul. We agree to move on and I will assist with that process, if necessary.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 13 years of experience supporting individuals and families of various ages. With my skill set I help clients navigate depression, anxiety, postpartum, family stress, intimate partner violence, crisis interventions, major life transitions and so much more. I provide therapy services and specialize in conducting comprehensive biopsychosocial and diagnostic assessments for individuals seeking mental health evaluation, diagnosis, and support. Helping individuals gain a clearer understanding of their mental health through comprehensive evaluations. I help individuals gain a clearer understanding of their mental health through comprehensive evaluations.

Using clinical diagnostic tools, I evaluate presenting symptoms and provide accurate diagnoses. I gather detailed background information and use evidence-based diagnostic methods to determine the most clinically appropriate diagnosis. During the assessment process, I draw from structured interviews, standardized measures, and clinical observation to gain a comprehensive understanding of each individual’s emotional, behavioral, and psychological functioning. Once the diagnostic evaluation is complete, I provide appropriate referrals tailored to each client’s needs—whether that includes specialized therapy/treatment, psychiatry for medication management/evaluation, or other supportive services. I am committed to helping clients access the right level of care and begin a treatment plan that aligns with their goals, symptoms, and long-term well-being.