Narcissistic Personality (NPD) Therapists in Chicago, IL

Are you stuck but trying to move forward after a break-up or divorce? Were you traumatized by deceit or even a double life and wondering if you can ever trust again? Or are you simply terrified seeing so many red flags and disingenuous individuals in the dating pool? No matter what your age or life stage, when a relationship ends whether by choice or by the actions of another, you may be caught off guard and thinking clearly can be difficult. You may experience self-doubt, insecurity, anxiety, and fear. It can be helpful to work together to regain confidence (in yourself and others).

Narcissistic abuse (antagonistic relational stress) is one of the most painful, disorienting experiences a person can live through. My mission is to provide precise, impactful treatment, designed specifically for survivors of narcissistic abuse. I also treat NPD. I feel strongly that survivors, who typically already feel lost & misunderstood, deserve carefully curated care that aligns with their particular reality. Whether or not my clients would like to use the word “abuse” is up to them. Regardless of what we call it, recovery during & after these painful, challenging experiences can feel unbearable– but you are not alone.

Do you wake up each morning feeling excited and enthusiastic in anticipation the day ahead? Or do you find yourself feeling depressed, uninspired, anxious or just unfulfilled? Are you suffering from long-term Narcissistic abuse? We are influenced by our life experiences, some of these lead to inaccurate, limited beliefs about ourselves. Once you learn to identify and understand these beliefs, life changes. The path to happiness and wholeness involves getting to know your true self, transcending your perspective and embracing your highest potential and purpose. When you change your state of mind, you change your state of being.

Hi, my name is Kay and I specialize in Women and Families. I specifically have experience with individuals healing from Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Narcissistic Abuse and Domestic Violence. I have over 15 years of therapy experience and 20 years of healthcare experience. I work with clients from adolescence into adulthood through many life cycles. My secondary interests include eating disorders in adolescents and young adults, and women's mental health related to menopause, parenting, significant others, work stress, etc.

I utilize Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to help clients identify and dispute problematic beliefs, and re-frame them into productive patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. With REBT, you can learn to reduce and manage your anger, anxiety, depression, guilt, rage, shame, and/or addictive behaviors. We work together to identify and dispute your rigid demands and/or dire needs, and re-frame them into strong, healthy preferences, and your catastrophic thinking into proportionate appraisals of activating events.

Do you have a toxic relationship in your life that is causing you stress? It could be a parent, spouse, child, sibling, teacher, coach, boss, co-worker, friend, neighbor, or significant other. Does this person trigger you to over-eat/under eat, use alcohol/drugs, or feel anxious or depressed? Do you have symptoms of C-PTSD? I am a holistic therapist specializing in empath/highly sensitive person (HSP), and narcissistic abuse recovery. I will help you build the inner resources to aid in healing the whole person; mind, body, and soul.

At some point in our lives we all experience the full force of life’s challenges. Sometimes the distress, pain, alienation or isolation is too intense for us to traverse life’s path alone. Yet, for many of us, asking for help or inviting others into our private world is equally difficult. I hope to convince you that therapy can help us understand conflicts underlying these challenges. Through insight, self-empowerment and enhanced emotional regulation, we can become more adaptive and begin to heal and grow in the face of challenges or transitions. Therapy can also help to cultivate a greater sense of meaning and purpose in our live.

I know finding a therapist can be overwhelming, so I welcome you on this journey! My approach is client centered which combines treatment methods of Humanism, CBT, Mindfulness, Attachment Theory, and other interpersonal theories. During our work together, I will focus on understanding your story, values, and goals to help you in finding coping strategies that promote self-awareness, self-compassion, and overall, an improved quality of life.

Licensed in Texas and Illinois. As we navigate our unique journey in life, sometimes additional support is needed along the way. My interactions with clients are grounded in compassion, respect, empathy, and an understanding of cultural impacts. My role as a therapist is to help educate and empower clients so that they develop the insight and skills necessary to overcome their own personal and situational challenges. Examining the core of your presenting symptoms can be challenging but you are worth the life changing experience. I work with couples, families, & individuals including adults and adolescents ages 14+.

Over 30 years' experience helping people with emotional pain, trauma, fear, anxiety, depression, confusion, grief, esteem, stress, and life changes including heart break and narcissistic abuse. I can assist you in using your personal strengths, develop new coping skills and strategies that you can, immediately use to feel better and live fully.

I work with individuals, couples and families who want to feel more fulfilled and connected. During the therapeutic process, I primarily help adults and older adolescents with challenges associated with anxiety, depression, trauma, relational stress, life transitions, boundary issues, shame and perfectionism.

Lauren earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School, and working toward her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at National Louis University. She is a Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician. She has provided psychotherapy services across various settings including community mental health centers, private practices, and law enforcement collaboration. She has experience working with depression, anxiety, trauma, mood instability, & relationship issues. She enjoys working with individuals navigating overwhelming levels of stress related to academics, relationships, social media, work, and change.

Accepting New Clients for Virtual Therapy! Have you experienced trauma or highly distressing circumstances, or toxic relationships, and now struggling with lasting effects, affecting your daily life or mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being? I'm here to help - to listen to your needs and help you to set healthy goals for your healing process. I'll help you to process and heal from your past experiences, teach you new coping skills to deal with distress, and develop a healthy sense of self-worth, as well as build resiliency for the future, so you can achieve ultimate personal and relational growth.

What's holding you back? I work with driven professionals to work through obstacles and get you back on track to the life you want. Whether it's a diagnosable disorder like depression, something from your past you'd like to sort out, an addiction or consistent compulsion, or a relational issue, it's my privilege to offer my training and experience in service of your goals. I find a lot of our experience comes down to patterns. Our brains quickly assess a situation, choose from a list of pre-formed thoughts and behaviors, and push "GO."

Therapy can be a place to confront difficult feelings, memories, and experiences, which occurred in the past and how they can come up in the present. Therapy provides a non-judgmental, curious space in which we can explore your feelings and thoughts in ways that can be difficult to do in the fast-paced, 'outside' world.

Consideration of entering therapy can feel like an overwhelming task, especially if you are struggling, feeling like "nothing will change", in transition or have been hurt in previous relationships. I provide a safe, trusting and non-judgmental environment in which we work together on your challenges. While I bring knowledge and experience to our work, you are the expert on you: your goals and feedback on the process will drive our work together. Clients have provided me with excellent feedback, stating that I am open, empathic and good-natured about the difficulties of change.

I approach counseling with empathy and acceptance through an intersectional lens. I support clients through short-term goals, long-term processing of trauma/past experiences, and the impact on the present using their existing strengths and interests. The therapeutic relationship itself is an effective avenue of healing and as such I value open communication.

The basis of an ideal client in my lens does not have a select issue. Everyone has their own life challenges and emotional weight they carry with them. In the end, what I want for my clients is a common goal to be the best version of themselves they can be while being open-minded in facing tasks related to that goal. Whether it is an interpersonal relationship problem, anxiety, substance abuse, etc; the ultimate goal is to be better in comparison to yourself yesterday rather than someone else. That common ideal goal is what I aim for with every client I work with through the use of problem-solving strategies and coping mechanisms.

When you contact our practice, we aim to provide a comfortable, professional, and pleasant experience for you to grow and freely process. We want you to feel heard, so we listen carefully and deeply. We commit to be proactive and help create a safe and welcoming place for you to connect with your thoughts and feelings, your values, and even your dreams. We help build an alliance with you to grow in understanding and wisdom, to help you find and become yourself, and to develop more meaningful relationships and work.