Compassionate Therapy for Women in Illinois, Washington & Florida

You were meant to live for so much more.

Although I have over 20 years in the mental health field, my specialty comes from knowing what it is like to be right where you are. As a trauma survivor, I am familiar with the terrain of anxiety and profound loss. So when we work together, you won't just get a trained therapist. You will get someone who truly understands what you are going through.

Clients come to me seeking someone who is highly trained but also empathetic, kind, and honest—someone who has done their own work and can join them in theirs. As your therapist, I will offer you a space where you can feel safe, understood, and free to show up as your true self. I will partner with you on this journey: offering new perspectives and unconditional support to help you begin to thrive again.

 

Lori Gudvangen, LCSW

Anxiety

Grief and Loss

Trauma

Christian Counseling

You don't have to keep living overwhelmed, disconnected, or unfulfilled.

 

Maybe you’ve been to therapy before and are looking to go deeper than you have in the past, or perhaps this is the very first time you’ve reached out to someone. Either way, I can provide you with the space, support, and expertise you need to move forward in the healing process.

Sometimes we’ll need to sit in the hard stuff together: the complex emotions, experiences, and questions you haven’t felt safe sharing elsewhere. I won’t shy away from this or offer empty platitudes.

We’ll challenge unhelpful, deep-rooted beliefs or stories you’ve been telling yourself, work on re-processing past experiences, and learn how to better tune into your body and what it’s telling you.

 We will also explore how your family, culture, identity, and other factors influence how you show up to life while learning new strategies to navigate life's inherent complexity, messiness, and joy. 

Together we can take that inner strength and newfound courage into every area of your life.

What's it like to work with me?

  • As your therapist, I will meet you where you're at—never pushing you to a place where you aren't ready or directing us somewhere that doesn't feel aligned with your goals. I know that your circumstances are unique, so your therapy sessions are tailored to your specific issues, and we always have an end goal: empowering yourself to define your happiness.

  • Maybe there are behaviors and coping mechanisms that served you well in the past, perhaps during a challenging time in childhood or adolescence.

    Those same behaviors that helped you get by may be the same ones holding you back now as an adult.

    You may find yourself locked into negative patterns that you don't know how to escape. These old, entrenched behaviors and thoughts could be holding you back from realizing your potential and interfering with your relationships.

    Individual therapy allows you to understand and heal deep, early disruptions and wounds and open the door to a new, more fulfilling future.

  • Humor is a powerful tool in the healing process. One of the things that surprised me about being a therapist is how much I laugh with my clients. Is therapy fun? Not always no, but it's not all tears and tissues! I laugh easily both at myself and at life's absurdities and tend to find humor in everyday events. Sometimes humor can be used as a positive coping skill and be a powerful tool in healing and connection. :-)

  • My goal is to work myself out of a job: to help you experience a level of growth, progress, and insight so that you no longer need to be in therapy. We'll work hard together, we'll make things happen, and you'll be able to continue moving forward.

Therapy with me is….

  • Collaborative

  • Down-to-earth

  • Compassionate

  • Honest and no-fluff

Therapy with me isn’t…

  • X Stuffy

  • X Awkward

  • X One size fits all

  • X Rigid

Training & Education

I am committed to ongoing education and training to best support you. I am captivated by advancements in brain research and the brain’s amazing ability to heal and transform.

Degrees

  • Masters of Social Work-Aurora University 1994

  • Bachelor’s of Social Work-Aurora University 1993

Licensure

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker-llinois # 149.015924

  • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Washington # LW60675427

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Florida #SW20661

Certifications

  • Certified Clinical Trauma Professional

  • Certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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