Couple Counseling in Chicago

OK, let's face it: not all marriages are perfect and it could be even considered natural for some little issues to appear after a while. And instead of letting these little issues grow bigger and bigger, putting your family at stake, why not take the matter into your own hands and go for some counseling? There are lots of places where you can do so, but we just got word about a brand new one in Chicago. Here's more info:

"Making the initial call is so important," Veland says of the therapy process. "People are so comfortable calling to have their air conditioning or heater repaired, yet when it comes to dealing with their life, relationships, and how they feel, they tend to want to try to handle it on their own. Just because you can do it on your own doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Why make it harder on yourself? It is a strength to reach out, make yourself vulnerable, and get help."

Especially, Veland continues, during these rough economic times. "The economy has had an enormous impact on people who are working professionals. There are layoffs, professions that previously were very lucrative like trading and real estate are suddenly grinding to a halt. There is added tensions and fears at home. These pressures cause problems that were already there to enlarge and cause new problems to emerge. People begin using substances to cope. 'Anger cycles' accelerate."

On what to look for when finding a therapist, Veland says: "An initial discussion is an important benchmark before moving forward. Find out if the therapist is comfortable working with the problems you need help with. Make sure they have any openings in their schedule. Find out if their availability matches yours, how much the rate is, and how long you have to wait for your first appointment."

Veland has experience with a full spectrum of client, but has created a specialty with couples counseling and anxiety disorders, and plans to build on her knowledge base in these two areas with Lincoln Park Counseling.

On being aware of the symptoms of anxiety disorders, Veland says:

"I like to break anxiety down into two categories. The first thing to be aware of are the physical symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, feeling numbness or tingling, sweaty palms, nervous stomach, headaches, loss of concentration, insomnia. Second, there are psychological symptoms: feeling fearful or overwhelmed by one’s problem/problems, having repetitive intrusive thoughts, worrying about the same thing over and over, feeling easily agitated.

"Anxiety is fear and fear is one of the more disturbing of human emotions. I would say that having any of the above symptoms or feeling bothered enough by it that you would like to do something about it is a good enough reason. Who wants to feel anxious?"

Lincoln Park Counseling will also build on Veland's years of experience with couples counseling:

"Couples counseling is very challenging for a variety of reasons," she says. "I like to say it is like having several different clients in the room at one time: the couple, the couple’s past relationships, their parents beliefs, values, and the relationships they modeled. Add in as well society's roles and our own expectations. The list is endless. Couples need someone who is confident, insightful, experienced, and able to manage a complexity of issues."

Finally, Veland mentions that the change of name will not change the philosophy of her practice: "I have a small, more intimate practice. Unlike bigger agencies where you have limited control over who you are linked with, you either get me or referred elsewhere. I take a limited amount of clients so that I can give them and their care my fullest attention. I tend to make strong connections with my clients, and I believe that a strong foundation is what makes the client/therapist relationship so effective in providing psychological growth."

For more information: www.LincolnParkCounseling.com