Somatic Experiencing Therapy for Neurodivergent People: Why It Helps

Does this scenario sound familiar? You made plans to hang out with a friend, but when the day comes to meet up, your friend cancels. Even though they’re super apologetic and kind about having to cancel—and on a cognitive level you know they love and value you as a friend—you still feel a strong sting of rejection and have a hard time getting rid of that feeling. Whenever you think about it, your heart races and you have a hard time calming down or being productive. If you struggle with being able to release strong emotions on a physical level, Somatic Experiencing Therapy (SET) might be a helpful approach for you. In this post, we’ll walk you through what Somatic Experiencing Therapy is, its benefits, and how to find a somatic experiencing therapist near you.

First, What is Somatic Experiencing Therapy? 

“Somatic” comes from the Greek word “soma” meaning body. Somatic Experiencing Therapy is a method in a broader approach known as mind-body therapies. It is the application of somatic psychology, a field that explores the lived experience of being embodied as the basis for how we live in and relate to the world. The principle theory behind Somatic Experiencing Therapy is that stress and trauma become trapped in the body and can manifest as emotional dysregulation, or with physical side-effects that cause prolonged discomfort, such as an elevated heart rate. 

Returning to the example above, in response to a friend’s last-minute cancellation, the person might feel anxiety and experience an elevated heart rate every time they think about the situation, and find it difficult to bring their heart rate back to baseline. This difficulty regulating emotions and bodily sensations might be a result of trauma, or a symptom of a neurodivergent condition. Someone might seek therapy when they realize that despite being able to think through a stressful situation, and yet still experience significant distress over how they feel physically in their bodies about it. Cognitive techniques in traditional talk therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are useful for helping us think differently about a situation, but sometimes our bodies don’t create different feelings just because we’ve been able to think something differently. Somatic experiencing is designed to address this by helping increase an individual’s awareness of their body as a way of reconnecting with their internal experiences (interoceptive, proprioceptive, and kinesthetic sensations) and emotions.

Let’s take a moment to define those three internal awareness terms: 

• Interoception is the awareness of bodily sensations such as heart rate, breathing, hunger, temperature, pain, the urge to use the bathroom, etc. 

• Proprioception is the awareness or perception of the movement and position of the body.

• Kinesthesia is the sensation of movement or strain in muscles, tendons, and joints.

SET increases an individual’s awareness of these internal sensations in response to emotions, and teaches them how to experience them safely.

What Happens in Somatic Experiencing Therapy? 

In a traditional talk therapy session, a therapist will start with the brain—in other words, they work with patients to use cognitive skills to approach memory and trauma. But in Somatic Experiencing Therapy, therapists flip the script and start with the body to work towards the brain, addressing bodily sensations as a path to accessing thoughts, emotions, memories, and trauma. To facilitate this, a therapist might use the SIBAM framework, which stands for Sensation, Imagery, Behavior, Affect, and Meaning. 

Using our earlier example of the friend who canceled social plans, you might start the session by discussing the experience with your therapist, and then use the SIBAM framework to process those feelings: 

• Sensation — how does this memory or experience make you feel in your body? 

• Imagery — what are the sensory impressions from that experience: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch? 

• Behavior — the therapist will observe your behavioral responses: what is your body language and posture like, as you recall this experience? 

• Affect — how did you display your emotions in the moment (language, tone, speed, and volume) and how are you expressing them now? 

• Meaning — after processing all of this with your therapist, what is your perception of the situation now and what does it mean to you? 

SET can include many other techniques from breathwork and dance, to bodily awareness, resourcing, titration, and pendulation. At Empowered Connections Counseling, our therapists will work with you to find the right combination of techniques to suit your needs and goals. 

What Are the Benefits of Somatic Experiencing Therapy? 

SET can be beneficial for anyone with a history of: 

• Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Grief

• Anxiety

• Substance abuse disorders

• Chronic pain

• Neurodivergent conditions such as autism (more on this below)

Each of these experiences can contribute to emotional dysregulation, or trigger one of the four fear responses: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Emotional trauma and the memory of that trauma can instigate fear responses, well beyond the point where the individual is exposed to the trauma, and cause both cognitive and physical symptoms that make it hard to function normally, from confusion and difficulty concentrating, to irregular heart rate and difficulty breathing. 

The outside-in approach of SET that starts with the body to access thoughts and memories of trauma helps teach the body that you are safe, even when you approach a stressful or traumatic memory. 

Another benefit of Somatic Experiencing Therapy is that it builds an individual’s awareness of the connection between their emotions and their awareness of internal bodily experiences so that they can learn to relieve tension and stress in healthy ways, especially when they are feeling triggered.

Somatic Experiencing Therapy for Neurodivergent People: Why It Helps

A common experience among neurodivergent people with different diagnoses is a heightened experience of body sensations due to sensory processing differences. These sensory processing differences can be related to our five outward senses, such as sensitivity to noise, bright overhead lighting, or large crowds, but these sensory differences can also occur with interoception—what we feel inside our bodies, such as the physiological sensations of emotions, digestion, or pain. 

No one enjoys feeling emotionally uncomfortable (anxious, sad, angry), but that discomfort can be perceived as extra scary or threatening if you process sensations differently. So while a neurotypical person may be able to experience a heart rate increase related to anxiety and go about their daily lives with minimal disruption, a neurodivergent person may experience that heart rate increase and not be able to focus on anything else. 

Somatic experiencing therapy can be a useful therapeutic tool for helping neurodivergent individuals learn to experience these uncomfortable body sensations safely and release tension or stress in healthy ways. 

Somatic Experiencing Therapy in Chicago

When we learn how to safely connect our bodily sensations with our emotions and memory, we can better release the stress and tension that keeps us experiencing contentment and joy. Somatic Experiencing Therapy can be a powerful therapeutic experience to help you enjoy your life and relationships. If you're curious about whether SET is right for you, or you're ready to give it a try, reach out. At ECC, we're committed to helping our clients find the right therapy approach and therapist to help you thrive. 

About ECC: 

Empowered Connections Counseling is a practice of licensed therapists providing quality, multidisciplinary counseling for adults, children & teens, relationships, and families in Chicago and across Illinois. Whether by in-person session or via telehealth, we work with clients to find the therapist and treatment methods that best suit their needs. Connect meaningfully with your life by booking an appointment today.

What Is A Systems Therapist? Q&A with ECC Intern Therapist Riley Brennan

“I don’t believe in anything being a ‘personal problem,’” says Riley Brennan, our current graduate intern therapist who is completing her Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy at Adler University. In her Q&A on our blog today, Riley shares what it means to be a systems therapist: someone who works with clients to consider the system influences that impact their mental health, from family and friends, to workplace dynamics, religion, and politics. Keep reading to find out why she finds this framework helpful for connecting with clients.

Riley BRennan, MA, BA

Graduate Intern Therapist

What inspired you to become a therapist? 

My path to becoming a therapist was perhaps a bit untraditional. I have previously worked jobs in sexual violence prevention and response, sex education, and childcare. In their own way, each of these opportunities helped me consider ways to support people navigating the difficult situations and conversations of life, and they all led to being a couples and family therapist!

If there’s one thing you could say to a person thinking about starting therapy for the first time, what would it be? 

Welcome! You’re not too old or too young, too early or too late, too independent or too needy, too stubborn or too weak to be here; you’re right on time and exactly where you need to be. This is your journey, and you’ll get as much as you give.

You describe yourself as a systems therapist – can you talk more about what that means and why you find it helpful as a therapist? 

I don’t believe in anything being a “personal problem.” As a systemic-trained therapist, I look for the ways people have been influenced by and have influenced other aspects of their lives such as family, friends, coworkers, religions, politics, etc. We learn our behaviors and values from the things around us, so to truly understand a problem and work to change it, we have to be willing to look at the family/social/world systems we are part of. 

This approach is helpful because it can free you from the responsibility and shame of being or having a problem; it’s not all you! We can all take responsibility for problems and we can all work together to make them better. This provides opportunities for real, lasting change.

You mention in your bio that you’re especially interested in working with teens and parents of children, can you talk more about why? 

Teens are an overlooked population for therapy. Not enough therapists are willing to work with them, likely because they are developmentally not quite independent but still able to make choices for themselves that can have a major impact on the rest of their lives. Teens experience a lot of change, big emotions, and opportunities, and they deserve a judgment-free, supportive place to talk about their lives. As a former “troubled teen” myself, I don’t scare easily, and I know there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Parents are often unsupported in our society. People are still expected to have kids without necessarily knowing what parenting is like! Research and theories (and social media) on parenting practices have transformed popular opinion on the best ways to parent, making navigating challenging behaviors all the more confusing. Parents deserve informed resources to learn and explore what is best for their own families, and I am excited to be part of that support system.

What are the books or other resources that you recommend most to clients? 

Oh goodness. I read a lot, so I love to talk about books. I recommend Like a Mother by Angela Garbes and Expecting Better by Emily Osters for prospective or expecting parents. Equal Partners by Kate Mangino is excellent for unpacking the balance of labor in domestic relationships. The Ethical Slut by Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy is life-changing for exploring relationship configurations and perspectives on love. Finally, The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld is wonderful for children (and adults) facing big emotions, and Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder is beautiful for children (and adults) to learn about body diversity.

What are you reading / watching / listening to right now? 

I’ve been listening to the Off Menu podcast in which comedians talk about their dream meal. It’s funny and lighthearted, so it’s great for unwinding. I listen to Paris Paloma’s feminist indie music on repeat. I have been reading romance (mostly fantasy romance) like my life depends on it for the past year, and I am simply obsessed.

Do You & Your Partner(s) Need Relationship Therapy?

February and Valentine’s Day focus our collective attention on romantic love. Gifts, quality time with romantic dates or getaways, and public declarations of commitment are the most common expressions of romance we see in modern culture around Valentine’s Day, and they’re all wonderful ways to shower your partner(s) with love and affection. Yet at the same time, they can also be distractions or band-aids for relationship issues that need attention and work. If you’re looking for a deeper connection with your partner(s) this Valentine’s Day, there are some therapy approaches that might be right for you.

Signs That You & Your Partner(s) Might Need Relationship Therapy

Just like with individual therapy, the social stigma around relationship therapy can prevent partners from seeking much-needed external support, and even more so for romantic partners who don’t conform to hetero monogamous relationships. Does going to therapy mean there’s something wrong with our relationship? Are we doomed to fail? These are understandable questions, given the social stigma around therapy. At Empowered Connections Counseling, we believe that pursuing relationship therapy is actually a really good sign: it means that one or more of you are invested in the health of the relationship. It means you’re willing to put in work, make yourself vulnerable, have tough conversations, and grow together so that your relationship has a better chance at surviving, maybe even thriving.

No romantic relationship is perfect, because humans aren’t perfect. Humans bring a whole history of pain and sensitivity to relationships that can lead to conflict and misunderstandings. Here are some of the most common reasons that romantic partners seek therapy together:

• Lack of intimacy - It’s common for intimacy (emotional and sexual) to ebb and flow in relationships over time. But if the ebb of intimacy between you and your partners seems to be more pronounced right now, i.e., you’re having trouble connecting with each other, you’re not feeling seen and heard, it’s hard to initiate connection with them and they’re not initiating anything with you, then therapy might help.

• Communication issues – Frequent/recurring arguments and unresolved conflict can build resentment and avoidance between partners. Every relationship has sensitive areas (money issues, family conflict, annoying habits), but if you feel like you’re afraid to bring up certain topics to your partner(s), a licensed therapist can help you unpack the issues and find new ways of communicating to better understand each other.

• Big life transitions or shared trauma – It could be new parenthood, a move to a new location, money or job stress, shifts in gender and sexual identity, or something more painful, such as infertility or child loss. Regardless of the issue, all relationships face awkward or painful chapters in which it becomes more difficult to know how to support one another. Especially when it comes to loss, when each partner is dealing with their own grief, therapy can help you find ways to connect and bond so that you feel less alone.

• Broken trust – Betrayal happens, but it doesn’t have to lead to an explosive ending. It could be a beginning of newfound honesty. Whether it’s an affair, a painful lie, or another type of betrayal, a licensed therapist can help you and your partner(s) come together to unpack the broken trust between you, examine what it means for your relationship, set healthy boundaries, and find ways to communicate about your needs in honest ways.

• Unsolvable problems - According to Dr. John Gottman’s research, 69% of problems that relationships face are actually perpetual or “unsolvable problems,” such as personality or character traits. Therapy can help you and your partner(s) name the problem, get curious about each other, and find a new path forward together.

It is also healthy and normal to go to therapy together when your relationship seems fine! You don’t need to wait for a glaring red flag or a dramatic falling apart to seek support from a therapist — in fact, it’s better if you don’t wait. Plenty of romantic partners go to relationship therapy so that they can prioritize healthy communication and process life’s ups and downs together in a more intentional way.

The Best Types of Therapy to Improve Your Romantic Relationship(s)

Relationship therapy can significantly increase intimacy, satisfaction, and strengthen connection. It can also provide an opportunity to repair when there has been wounding in our important relationships. At ECC, our diverse group of licensed counselors and therapists practice several types of research-backed therapy modalities. Our goal is always to help our clients find the right therapist and approach that best suits their needs. Here are a couple of beneficial therapy frameworks our practice uses to help romantic partners form healthier bonds.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Attachment-based therapy is a trauma-informed and process-oriented therapeutic method that helps clients identify attachment wounds and repair relationships. In attachment-based therapy, a therapist will talk with you to help you understand the four attachment styles, and then lead exercises to help you identify your attachment style, identify deeper attachment wounds, and build more secure attachments with your partner(s). (Learn more about attachment-based therapy and its benefits.)

Emotionally Focused Therapy

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a therapeutic approach that helps clients connect their emotions with their underlying needs, identify negative patterns, and try new ways of connecting with others. Developed by Canadian Psychologist Sue Johnson in the 1980s, EFT is a type of attachment-based therapy that was primarily developed for couples. It is distinct from other therapy methods in its core premise that our emotions are a signal of an unmet need or insecure attachment within a relationship. EFT is beneficial for relationships because it provides a structure for identifying and addressing layers of emotions, empowering individuals to connect more deeply with their authentic feelings and learn to communicate them honestly in their relationships. (Learn more about EFT therapy and its unique benefits.)

Relationship Counseling and Therapy Near You

Romantic love can be one of the great joys of life. It can be an incredible source of meaning, connection, personal and collective growth. And it can be a source of deep pain, fear, and grief. It is human nature to bring significant expectations to our romantic partnerships, all the more so in our modern, western culture that has made romantic partnership the pinnacle marker of adulthood. Every relationship deserves support and can benefit from therapy, where each partner has the opportunity to voice their needs, fears, expectations, grief, and hope.

At Empowered Connections Counseling in Chicago, our therapists support all types of romantic relationships—straight, LGBTQIA+, monogamous, polyamorous, partnered, married, divorced—as well as individuals who are single, healing from heartbreak or loss of a partner, or recovering from intimate partner violence or betrayal. Together, we can help you find the right therapist and therapy approach to forge healthy, meaningful connections in your life. Reach out today to book a session.

About ECC:

Empowered Connections Counseling is a practice of licensed therapists providing quality, multidisciplinary counseling for adults, children & teens, relationships, and families in Chicago and across Illinois. Whether by in-person session or via telehealth, we work with clients to find the therapist and treatment methods that best suit their needs. Connect meaningfully with your life by booking an appointment today.

Managing Loneliness During the Holidays: Four Tips from a Therapist

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? The holidays are meant to be a time of connection and joy, but sometimes they can be a time of disconnection, grief, and isolation, especially if you have recently suffered a loss such as death of a loved one, divorce or estrangement, job loss, or a move away from your community. Perhaps the holidays are a reminder of past trauma. Even when everything in your life seems normal, the social expectations around holiday celebrations can be overwhelming. It’s all too easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others who seem to have it all together, especially through social media. All of these things can not only increase loneliness, but anxiety and depression as well.

If any of this feels familiar, know that you aren’t alone. In the last year, over half of Americans have reported feeling sadness and loneliness during the holidays. Loneliness at the holidays is incredibly common, despite the sparkly veneer of lights and gifts and sweet treats.

Mental Health Struggles During the Holidays

An increased sense of loneliness can lead to maladaptive coping mechanisms, especially ones we may have turned to in the past: substance abuse, disordered eating, and other addictive behaviors like mindless shopping. It’s also common to experience increased relationship conflict with family members and partners, given the social pressure to conform to old traditions that may not be comforting anymore.

Another mental health struggle that many experience during the holidays is meta-emotional cycles: in other words, having feelings about your feelings that exacerbate your despair. For example, you might feel loneliness, and then sadness or self-doubt in response to the loneliness: Why am I so isolated? Is there something wrong with me? Another example might be jealousy that others have partners and big families to celebrate with, followed by shame for being jealous: Why can’t I just be happy for others and content with my life? These meta-emotions often lead to greater distress and dysregulation. All the while the original, primary emotion is unattended to, making matters worse.

Therapy Tips For Managing Your Loneliness During the Holidays

The good news is that there are ways you can reorient yourself during the holiday season to protect and improve your mental health. These strategies may not fix your loss or erase past trauma, but rather, can serve as a touchstone for reminding yourself that you are not alone in the world, and joy is still possible.

1. Mindfulness practices – Take time to slow down and connect with your thoughts and feelings. A simple practice of journaling, writing down things you’re struggling with and things that you’re thankful for, can have the effect of reducing how overwhelmed you feel and stopping those meta-emotional cycles from spiraling out of control. Or you might try going outside for a winter walk and focusing on your senses to get out of your head and back into your body: enjoy the crunch of snow beneath your boots, the fog in the air, the wind on your cheeks, or a favorite song in your earbuds (even if it’s a sad one).

2. Make new traditions – Whether it’s because the old traditions don’t feel comforting anymore, or because doing them simply isn’t possible this year due to financial issues or travel constraints, it is okay to try new ways of celebrating. This is possible whether you have people to celebrate with or not. If the thought of trying to celebrate holidays alone makes you feel even more sad or self-conscious, consider an activity that will connect you with others in need, like helping out at a center for unhoused people or underprivileged groups.

3. Adjust expectations and boundaries – We all go into the holiday season with hopeful expectations that we will be surrounded by loved ones and everyone will have a merry time together, full of joy and delicious food and fun gifts. But some years, that’s just not how it works out, for a variety of disappointing reasons. In these times, adjusting our expectations – and communicating clearly with others to help them adjust their own expectations – can make room for other opportunities to find joy. So maybe this year, gathering together with loved ones just isn’t possible; talking about it early on and making other plans to connect over FaceTime or in-person at a later date can help ease the disappointment and reassure each other that you care. (Read this post for more tips on setting boundaries and expectations with loved ones during the holidays.)

4. Support through therapy – No matter how lonely you feel this holiday, remember that you don’t have to cope alone. Therapy can help you process your feelings, prepare for the hard moments, and find joy and comfort.

Get Extra Support This Holiday Season

There’s no better time to seek support from a therapist than during the holiday season. You don’t have to wait until the new year to get the support you need. At ECC, our diverse group of licensed therapists can help you process the loneliness of the season and offer new strategies for coping and connecting with others. Book an appointment with us today to get started.

About ECC:

Empowered Connections Counseling is a practice of licensed therapists providing quality, multidisciplinary counseling for adults, children & teens, relationships, and families in Chicago and across Illinois. Whether by in-person session or via telehealth, we work with clients to find the therapist and treatment methods that best suit their needs. Connect meaningfully with your life by booking an appointment today.

5 Therapy Tips for Connecting with Your Family This Holiday Season

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s normal to feel anxious about making plans with your family, especially if you have a history of conflict. Holidays might have been more fun when you were a kid when you could just play with your siblings and cousins, eat delicious food, and tune out the adult conversation. But now that you’re an adult with your own values and opinions, family togetherness during the holidays might feel more stressful, with lots of potential for disagreement and friction. Roast turkey with a side of resentment, anyone? 🙃

We can’t control how other people in our families act, but we have the agency to make healthier choices that help us navigate complex family dynamics. Here are five tips for connecting with family this holiday season. 

1 - Clarify your own expectations for seeing your family. Check in with yourself: what do you hope this holiday gathering will be like? How do you want to spend time together? Until we can be honest with ourselves about our expectations, we will have a hard time communicating them to others, and that’s a recipe for disappointment. We also need to be honest with ourselves about whether our expectations are an accurate reflection of who we are, and who our family members are. When we set realistic expectations, knowing that frustrating moments are likely to happen, we can make a plan for how we want to respond in the moment in ways that align with our values and needs.

2 - Make a plan for when and how to interact with family. Here’s a scenario that might feel familiar: every year for the holidays, the whole family spends the entire day at Grandma’s house. You arrive at 11AM and leave twelve hours later, stuffed with pie and big feelings about everything everyone said to each other. What if you made a different plan this year? What if you decided to spend less time there — just long enough for dinner and dessert, with a few strategic time-outs in between? Or perhaps your parents expect you to stay at their house for the holidays (with your sibling, their spouse, their rambunctious kids, plus two dogs) and that always feels like too much? Deciding to stay in a different location can give you space and a chance to decompress. Or you might decide that this year FaceTime will have to suffice because you’re not feeling up to joining the full family gathering. The bottom line is that you get to decide when and how to interact with your family, you just have to make a plan that feels right for you.

3 - Set goals and limits. You’ve checked in with yourself on expectations, and you’ve made a plan for when and how to see your family. The next important step is setting goals and limits for interacting with your loved ones. It’s important to be specific. “I want to make it through Thanksgiving dinner without engaging in an argument” is a worthy goal, but a specific goal about how you’ll respond to a specific pattern of behavior will better prepare you for following through. A strong goal might be deciding not to take your dad’s bait about a political disagreement, or redirecting the conversation when your aunts engage in diet talk during dinner. A helpful limit might be setting a planned time to leave with your partner, deciding not to drink alcohol with everyone, or planning to leave if a particular harmful pattern starts to unfold. Writing out your plans, goals, and limits can help you prepare emotionally for taking action in the moment. 

4 - Practice clear communication and boundaries. A key element of fostering healthy change in any relationship is clear communication and firm boundaries. You can do all the work of clarifying your own expectations with yourself and making plans for how you want to interact with family during the holidays, but if you never communicate any of this to your loved ones, it can cause confusion, hurt, and disappointment for both you and them. (You can read more about boundaries here.) 

Some expectations and boundaries are better communicated ahead of time, like where you’ll stay: “We’re going to stay at an Airbnb this year. I know we’re welcome at your place and we’ve always stayed with you before, but this time we’d like to give everyone a bit more room to relax and decompress. It’s not because we don’t appreciate your hospitality, it’s just better for our needs. We’ll still get plenty of quality time together.” 

Other boundaries might be best communicated in the moment, like redirecting topics of discussion: “I hear what you’re saying. Talking about diets and food restriction right now is kind of triggering for me, so can we just enjoy our meal and talk about something else? If you keep talking about it, I’ll excuse myself from the table.” And then swiftly change the subject. 

A therapist may be able to help you reflect on the harmful patterns that make family gatherings difficult and help you strategize and practice new responses so that you’re prepared and confident in the moment. 

5 - Find ways to be kind to yourself. Navigating dysfunctional family dynamics is hard work. If you grew up in a household where your needs were dismissed by your caregivers, or arguing was a precursor to abuse or rejection, speaking up for yourself can feel scary and triggering. The work of breaking harmful cycles and choosing to respond differently can be exhausting, painful, and lonely. It’s important to strategize ways to care for yourself before, during, and after, so that you don’t revert to harmful coping mechanisms or engage in self-sabotaging behavior. Here are a few self-care tips:

• Take time out if you need it. Family gatherings can be overstimulating, from the noise to the number of people and the unpredictability of how everyone will act. Give yourself a chance to hit pause on the chaos with a quiet moment alone, whether it’s a trip to the bathroom or a walk around the block with the family dog.  

• Complete the stress cycle. Your body and brain are on high alert in moments of stress, even in the context of family dysfunction. Some people try to numb the feeling with alcohol, smoking, or other maladaptive coping mechanisms, but if you want to be kind to yourself and your body, there are healthier ways to decompress and tell your body that you’re safe: physical activity like a walk or run, meditation, letting yourself cry, taking a nap, or even meeting up with a friend to see a funny movie and laugh. 

• Forgive yourself when you mess up. We can have the best intentions for acting out our values and holding our boundaries, but we will inevitably disappoint ourselves somewhere along the way. We’re human, and our loved ones are human. Every interaction is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, our families, and use that information to guide our relationships going forward. 

Need Extra Support This Holiday Season? 

If this upcoming holiday season is causing you to experience anxiety and distress, you don’t have to cope on your own. Meeting with a therapist can help you connect with your emotions, clarify your needs, and build the emotional strength to show up differently in your family, in ways that align with your needs and values. There are many different therapy methodologies that might help you establish healthier connections with your family, such as Emotionally Focused Therapy. At ECC, we’re committed to helping our clients find the right therapist and strategy for building healthy connections. If you need help with boundary setting, communication, or conflict resolution, we’re here to help. Book an appointment today to get started. 

About ECC: 

Empowered Connections Counseling is a practice of licensed therapists providing quality, multidisciplinary counseling for adults, children & teens, relationships, and families in Chicago and across Illinois. Whether by in-person session or via telehealth, we work with clients to find the therapist and treatment methods that best suit their needs. Connect meaningfully with your life by booking an appointment today.