Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Schaumburg, IL

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.

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 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.

As a therapist with five years of experience, I have worked with people facing a variety of struggles including depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as life transitions, surviving past trauma and abuse, feeling suicidal, and states of mania and psychosis. Our therapy will be a warm and introspective space where you can expect to be treated with dignity. I affirm LGBTQ+ identities; I welcome persons of different cultures, races, nationalities, and religious beliefs. Above all, I look forward to knowing you as a unique and singular person.

Great to meet you. As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I work to create a space where you feel seen, heard, and supported. My approach is warm, holistic, and open-minded, and I believe care works best when it is personalized to your needs, goals, and day-to-day reality.

I support clients navigating anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, sleep concerns, OCD, panic, eating concerns, and anger or impulse-related challenges. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply ready for things to feel more manageable, my goal is to help you better understand what is going on and build a path forward that feels both realistic and empowering.

I believe that therapy works best when people feel understood, respected and safe. I have over 20 year of experience helping adults navigate trauma, depression, anxiety, identity exploration, grief/loss, life transitions and relationship challenges. Much of my career has been devoted to working with veterans and individuals who have faced difficult or traumatic experiences. I strongly believe in establishing a relationship of equals and mutual respect between therapist and client; one that leads to a guided journey of self-discovery and change.