Chicago Counseling & Therapy Services
Nurturing meaningful connections across generations
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Counseling & Therapy for Relationships and Life Transitions
We offer a collaborative approach to therapy that emphasizes compassion, curiosity, and conscientiousness for building genuine and thriving relationships and lives.
Our Approach
Your growth is addressed through a perspective that views you and mental health symptoms within the context of relationship and family systems.
While diligent in our commitment to marriage and family therapy theories and models, we’re also always seeking to learn more to stay on top of evolving research across psychology and neuroscience.
Above all, our approach is people-first. We tailor your treatment to your goals and needs.
Why is our practice called Definition Counseling & Therapy?
Imagine you and your partner are stuck, asking for different things. He needs more “love” from you, while you need more “romance” and “connection” from him.
What if those words really hold the same meaning for how they can be practiced? If you can find your collective definitions, you can seek the solutions to follow.
At Definition Counseling & Therapy, we empower a deep understanding of the words and feelings that define yourself, your relationships, and your life.
We invite you to explore and define what “counseling” and “therapy” mean to you. Your meaningful definition of these ideas will authentically guide how we serve you.
Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.
- Prentis Hemphill
Life, in a way, is a long opportunity for corrective experiences.
- Robert Waldinger
We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.
- Brene Brown
Being human is not about being any one particular way; it is about being as life creates you.
- Kristin Neff
Boundaries are not what we tell kids not to do; boundaries are what we tell kids we will do.
- Dr. Becky Kennedy
Living authentically means that your choices and actions align with your core beliefs, values, and true self.
- Vienna Pharaon
Our Services
Family Counseling & Therapy
What if you could find peace with yourself and keep harmony in your family when life gets difficult?
If you’re considering counseling or therapy for yourself for family matters, we recommend full-family engagement for a more flexible approach. This will alleviate bias while supporting everyone individually and relationally.
Did you know? Family counseling or therapy helps with inner work, too. Due to the holistic nature of this approach, you may feel results sooner than through individual counseling or therapy.
And yes, we can still hold private one-on-one sessions with you!
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Common topics
Welcoming new siblings, supporting behavioral challenges, moving to a new city or school, resolving conflicts, adjusting to divorce or blended families, dealing with financial changes, preparing for college, coping with grief or health challenges, caring for aging parents, improving communication, etc.
Sessions
5-6 weekly sessions to start
Possible outcomes
Embracing your adult sibling relationships for a lifetime of memories.
Mom finding peace with moving into your home after Dad’s passing.
A more-excited-than-anxious morning on your child’s first day of school.
Homework hour with your teen, without the emotional outburst.
Sessions
5-6 weekly sessions to start
Couples Counseling & Therapy
Feel loved and appreciated, with a generous capacity to love and appreciate your partner.
Couples counseling or therapy can help you improve communication and strengthen your emotional connection as you face life’s challenges and changes.
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Common topics
Moving in together, getting ready for parenthood, blending parenting styles, in-law relationships, coping with infertility, healing from infidelity or breaks in trust, adjusting to an empty nest, rekindling romance, improving daily habits and connection
Sessions
3-4 weekly sessions to start
Possible outcomes
Embracing conflict as a healthy tool for defining your shared life goals.
Graceful reminders of what brought (and will keep) you together.
Excitement for downsizing while honoring memories of the big family house.
A perspective shift on household chores leading to a cleaner, happier home.
Sessions
3-4 weekly sessions to start
Individual Counseling & Therapy
What would it take to live the life you want?
You don’t have to face this question alone. Definition is here to help you figure it out.
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Common topics
Loss of a loved one, healing from breakup or divorce, navigating career changes or challenges, life after retirement, recovering from an abusive relationship, exploring gender identity, recovering from burnout, breaking generational cycles, overcoming perfectionism, addressing people-pleasing tendencies, improving emotional resilience
Sessions
3-4 weekly sessions to start
Possible outcomes
Finding forgiveness while no longer waiting for an apology that won’t come.
Feeling ready to find love in a new age and dating landscape.
Exploring who you are and finding how good it feels to be you!
A retirement plan for passion projects, leisure activities, and visits with grandchildren.
Sessions
3-4weekly sessions to start
Is Definition Right For You?
Anxiety, depression, emotional distress, and feeling stuck in patterned responses can be both the cause and symptom of flare-ups in your personal relationships.
This is especially true during times of life transition. We’re here to break the cycle.
Counseling & Therapy might help if you’re ready to:
Open your mind to new pathways of thinking and responding
Begin defining yourself, your relationship, and your life
Answer questions that push introspection and challenge growth
Allow for more connection than you ever thought was possible
We promise to do our best to have you feel heard, valued, and understood by a compassionate professional.
Give it a try
What You can expect
Therapy Fees & Insurance
When you’re thinking about counseling or therapy, we know that cost is a big consideration. At Definition, we’re your primary advocate for fair treatment through insurance.
We’re in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, and their subsidiaries. Depending on your insurance, you will likely have a copay or deductible/coinsurance structure to your coverage.
Intake Session
With insurance:
Copay or $130-$160
Self-pay: $160
Individual Session
With insurance:
Copay or $75-$160
Self-pay: $160
Relational Session
With insurance:
Copay or $75-$160
Self-pay: $160
We promise to research and inform you of the quote of benefits your insurance company provides us before your first session. And we will investigate and advocate for you if your claim comes back differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
You might be surprised to learn that Marriage & Family Therapists are uniquely trained to work with relationships and individuals from the very beginning of their training!
We invite you to explore and define what “counseling” and “therapy” mean to you. Your meaningful definition of these ideas will authentically guide how we serve you.
Partnership is the heart of our practice. We think you’ll appreciate our collaborative approach, open communication, and earnest follow-through on the expectations we set together.
We primarily use Integrative Systemic Therapy, which provides a framework from which we draw upon the strengths of other family, couple, and individual models. Brief descriptions of some of the other models we commonly use can be found here.
You can book a free consultation with any of our therapists to start, and we can always match you with someone else if needed. Get to know a little about our team here first!
While self-learning is a phenomenal way to expand your awareness and toolset for emotional development, an outside perspective will give you additional insight and provide tailored suggestions.
Wondering if counseling or therapy is right for you?
If you’re even thinking about it, it might be time to give it a try.
Book a consultation
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