Anxiety Therapist Chicago, IL for Adults & Couples

For people who feel stuck in anxious relational patterns and want something different

Therapy That Helps You Reclaim Your Voice (Without Pretending to Be Someone You’re Not)

Maybe you’re feeling…


✅ Emotional. all. the. time.
✅ Empty, the shell of a person you used to be, trying to keep the peace.
✅ Worried that you’ll get hurt if you put yourself out there to date again.
✅ Guilty when you set boundaries with others.

✅ Worried that you’ll repeat the same relationship patterns with your kids (or future ones).

You don’t have to go through this alone.

These patterns didn’t appear out of nowhere.

anxiety therapist chicago

Maybe you grew up believing love meant being helpful.

Conflict was scary and should be avoided.

Maybe you learned to put everyone else's needs before your own.

Those coping strategies may have helped you then…

But after a breakup or divorce, they left you questioning yourself, overthinking every interaction, and struggling to trust your own intuition.

The goal of therapy isn't to blame or vilify your past.

It's to understand it with compassion so you can begin making different choices moving forward.

Many clients discover that what they've called self-sabotage is actually their nervous system trying to protect them.

I’m not here to force you into a cookie-cutter version of “healed.”

We work together to understand yourself in new ways so you can build relationships that feel healthier, calmer, and more authentic.

How I Help You Move Forward

Many of my clients learned growing up that love meant keeping the peace, overextending themselves to meet others' expectations, or putting themselves last.

After experiencing a breakup or divorce, those old patterns often become impossible to ignore.

Together, we'll explore where those patterns came from and help you build relationships that reflect who you are today.

anxiety therapist chicago il

You do not have to stay in the role of the caretaker if it no longer fits who you are becoming.

Hi, I’m Shirley!

anxiety therapist chicago il

Hanging out with my dog-nephew!

 

A Space Where You Can Reconnect With Yourself

I am a second-generation Chinese-Vietnamese American who knows firsthand the struggle of not speaking up for myself and how that affects my self-confidence.

I want to give you the space and (more importantly) permission to slow down.

My approach blends Psychodynamic therapy, IFS, mindfulness, and attachment theory, meaning we get to know your story and the parts of your identity within it.

Together, we'll practice sitting with uncomfortable emotions instead of running from them.

They don't scare me.

 

Services I provide

What clients often tell me…

“I learned to trust myself and my body’s signals to spot abusive behaviors within MONTHS, instead of years! And walked away without feeling guilty.”

“All these years I felt shame about my circumstances, thinking that if I carried it for others, it would help. Now I realized it was never mine to hold.”

anxiety therapist chicago il

Anxiety Therapy in Chicago, IL

Taking the first step can feel intimidating, especially if you are used to putting yourself last.

You do not have to have everything figured out before reaching out.

If you are ready to start understanding yourself in a new way and begin healing from patterns of anxiety and self-sabotage, I invite you to connect.

No pressure. Click the link below to explore what support could look like for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Blog Posts from an Anxiety Therapist in Chicago, IL