Grief counselors and therapists in Skokie, IL

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.

Welcome! I’m a board-certified psychiatrist and a multi-platform Patient-Choice Award recipient. If you’re looking for a smaller practice to help with medication management +/- talk therapy, I may be the right fit for you.

My approach to counseling begins with a simple conviction: you are more than a diagnosis, a set of symptoms, or a problem to be solved. You are a whole person living a real life—with relationships, responsibilities, experiences, hopes, beliefs, and circumstances that all matter.

I work primarily with adults and couples facing a wide range of concerns and seasons of life. My role is to come alongside you, helping you understand what you are experiencing, see yourself and your circumstances more clearly, and discern how you want to respond to the life before you.

Hi, I'm Maurissa. Much of my background has involved work with people on the Autism spectrum and I found that they struggle with the same things that many people do, including grief, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, etc. My experience with people on the spectrum has helped me to provide an open perspective to work with those struggling with emotional regulation and different ways of thinking.

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with nearly two decades of experience in healthcare. I earned my Masters in Nursing at Walden University. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to care for individuals in psychiatric, emergency, surgical, inpatient, outpatient, and forensic settings. These experiences have shaped my belief that mental health and physical health are deeply connected and that each person deserves care that considers the whole individual.

I provide comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, diagnosis, medication management, and ongoing mental health support. I have experience working with individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, trauma and PTSD, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and other behavioral health concerns

Welcome — I'm so glad you're here! With 23 years of experience as a school social worker, I am passionate about helping children, adolescents, and families navigate life's challenges and build the skills needed to thrive at home, school and in their communities. I work with children and teens ages 3-17, as well as parents and caregivers who are seeking support, guidance, and practical strategies to strengthen family relationships, work through family conflicts and improve daily functioning. My goal is to help build the necessary skills to strengthen relationships and homeostasis within family structures and the individual.

I specialize in working with neurodivergent children, adolescents, and families including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), social-communication challenges, anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties, and behavioral challenges. I also specialize in working with high conflict family dynamics which include parent-child relationships, divorce (for families that are both in and/or out of the family court system), sibling rivalry, and multicultural child rearing.