Amanda Herman, LCPC | Courtney Vogt, LCSW | Jordan Meehan, LCSW | Katie Jackson-Griffin, LCPC | Stephanie Grunewald, PhD

Everyone faces challenges and difficulties in life.

At this point, nothing has seemed to help. You feel defeated. Exhausted. You think, “Why even try anymore?”

It’s time for clarity. Peace. Confidence.

The first step toward change is insight. It may seem like one thing is the cause of your feelings, but all of the layers that built up go unnoticed. Now is the time to notice those unhelpful, faulty, and negative thoughts that are not serving you. Individual therapy offers a space to explore your situation and restore an enlightened view of yourself and your life.

Seeking help during trying times shows courage and strength.

You’ve made a brave choice. Your commitment to seek counseling is the first step toward personal growth and fulfillment.

Counseling doesn’t represent a personal failure or weakness; it’s a healthy and self-caring way to work on yourself and learn better ways to handle life’s disruptions, difficulties, and stressors.

You can’t change your past. But you can change your present and future. You don’t need to feel stuck any longer. You can learn to determine how your life experiences will affect you. You can be in control.

Harness your strengths.

At Restorative Counseling, you’ll have a safe space to explore your life — to learn what works, what doesn’t, and why.

We’ll forge a strong, supportive, and collaborative working relationship. Our therapeutic alliance will prove instrumental in helping you achieve your goals.

You’ll learn how to process and express your emotions, deal with others, and cope with circumstances outside your control. In individual counseling, you’ll uncover your strengths and overcome life’s challenges.

Together, we can help you achieve lasting, positive outcomes.

Katie Jackson-Griffin, LCPC

Why does it have to be so complicated?

You couldn’t wait to be together. Hours passed like seconds. There was spark. There was chemistry.

You finished each other’s sentences. You were on the same page. There was connection.

Then, something happened. Stress. Money. Time. Kids. Family. In-laws. Just about anything can interfere with that closeness – that partnership you’ve formed. Conflict inevitably rears its ugly head.

Maybe you’ve considered counseling but haven’t dared to bring it up. It’s so difficult. But it doesn’t have to be!

Every couple faces challenges – whether you just started dating or have been married for 20 years or more. It’s important to explore the obstacles that may be interfering with your connection to your partner.

Something’s holding you back.

Seeking couples counseling doesn’t mean your relationship has serious problems or that you’re on the verge of a breakup or separation.

We believe all couples can benefit from counseling to help mitigate stress, conflicts, and other negative factors influencing the relationship.

Conflict is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to hurt your relationship.

Together, you’ll learn how to decrease unnecessary and unhelpful conflict while also incorporating tools and techniques to foster healthy conflict when it does arise.

Our goal is to remind you that you’ll learn how to work together against the issue, not each other.

Everyone has bad habits. As individuals, we’ve all developed patterns over time – not all of them good – that impact our ability to embrace love and affection wholeheartedly. And we bring those individual patterns into our relationships. But couples therapy can help.

Couples therapy provides you with a safe, non-judgmental space to share thoughts and fears openly – a place where you and your partner will hear and be heard to better understand one another. Once we clear away the obstacles, you’ll once again see the partner with whom you fell in love.

You’ll strengthen your mutual trust, respect, and compassion.

You’ll emerge knowing you can handle even the toughest situation – together.

 Restorative Counseling is an LGBTQIA-affirming practice.

Amanda Herman, LCPC | Jordan Meehan, LCSW | Katie Jackson-Griffin, LCPC

Our Mission:  To Strengthen the Family Unit.

Just as humans grow individually, your family must learn to grow and adapt to the challenges you’ll face at various stages of life.

Families go through phases. Having a baby. Raising children. Blending families. Children becoming adults.

With each phase, challenges arise. Learning how to effectively communicate with one another is key. Determining and setting healthy boundaries is a challenging, yet necessary task. The foundation of family therapy is to learn how to work as a team – a functioning system that supports each person.

A family has a personality – and each member of the family has a personality. Blending these varied personalities is a daily juggling act.

When should parents be stern and rules unbendable?

When should children be given more freedom?

What happens when life events shake up your family’s stability?

Even the strongest families face extraordinary circumstances.

Trauma, grief, and loss – we can’t plan for these things, and they can often be devastating.

Life transitions like moving, a new baby, a major health diagnosis, or a mental health condition — each change is challenging in its’ own way. Whether you plan for the changes or not, they affect each member of the family.

Divorce or separation – the end of a relationship brings on so many emotions for all family members. Even if you’re the one making the decision, traversing the transition is never easy.

You don’t have to face these circumstances alone.

When working with your family, we’ll address each family member’s individual needs. Each of you brings your own unique personality, perspective, and outlook – we respect that.

We’ll foster a safe space to explore what’s not working well and how you can all work together toward a united goal.

You’ll learn how to set boundaries, communicate effectively, and resolve conflict in healthy ways.

Jordan Meehan, LCSW | Katie Jackson-Griffin, LCPC | Stephanie Grunewald, PhD

Under Pressure?

Children and teens experience unique pressures. They need someone who gets them – who understands this pivotal period of development.

Every experience is a first — milestone, after milestone, after milestone.

At the same time, youth must navigate the difficult waters of discovering their personal identities, forming relationships, and learning how to handle competing demands.

Growing up is tough. Sometimes, it can be too much.

You feel helpless – maybe even heartbroken – watching your child struggle. But don’t be discouraged

Children often need help making meaning of their experiences.

While being faced with similar emotional challenges as adults, children do not have the same ability to verbally express what they are feeling. They may not know how to make sense of what is happening to them. We can navigate these barriers with your child and offer support so your child can learn how to manage their emotions. They can learn skills and gain tools to help them cope.

Teens may be more selective in what they share and with whom.

The signs of mental health difficulties are not always as obvious in teens. They may not know how to effectively ask for help. Teens learning how to advocate for themselves and communicate their needs and concerns is critical to their success. We understand the emotional and social difficulties that teens face today.

This is where we come in.

Our goal is to utilize your child’s unique characteristics and strengths to overcome any obstacle in their path.

First, we’ll validate and help your child normalize his or her emotions during this trying time.

We feel strongly about encouraging your child to accept his or her own unique journey and the challenges it may present. Everyone faces many obstacles in life, and exploring barriers that prevent success is essential. All the while, we’ll focus on how to process and respond to the emotional responses and reactions that your child experiences in order to promote healing and emotional well-being.

We know you want your child to live a happy and healthy life. That’s why we work with you, as well, to help you understand your child’s unique needs and how you can assist your child to reach his or her goals.

Amanda Herman, LCPC | Courtney Vogt, LCSW | Jordan Meehan, LCSW | Katie Jackson-Griffin, LCPC | Stephanie Grunewald, PhD

Just getting to a therapy appointment can be difficult.

Late again. Traffic is terrible. The kids have a game. You have work to do. And the low fuel light just came on. You’re stressed already, and now you have 40 minutes to make an hour-long commute. So much time wasted. Is all this worth it?

But you’ve made a commitment. And, yes. It’s worth it. You deserve to have the care you need.

But there’s a solution:  Virtual Counseling.

Tele-mental health, teletherapy, and so on – it goes by many names, but virtual counseling allows you to meet directly and securely with your therapist through live and interactive video and audio conferencing.

Why virtual counseling?

Simple. It gives you more accessible counseling options.

Busy Schedule? No problem. You can schedule your session on your lunch break, after the kids are asleep, whenever it’s convenient for you. No more wasted travel time.

Transportation or mobility issues? Again, no fuss. You can schedule your session no matter where you are if you have privacy and an Internet connection.

Distance concerns? No longer. If you live outside Chicago and don’t think that in-person therapy would work for you, think again. You can now receive services from the comfort of your own home.

So how does it work?

You’ll meet with your therapist through real-time video and audio over a secure online connection.

But is it secure?

Yes. We use a HIPAA-secure video platform to protect your privacy and confidentiality.

How does insurance work?

Many insurance companies cover online counseling just the same as an office visit. If your insurance does not cover this service, we offer convenient self-pay options.