Psychotherapy
We provide individual, relationship, family, and group psychotherapy. Individual, Couple/Relational, & FamilyGroupsIndividual, Partnered/Relational/Couple, & Family Psychotherapy
At Live Oak, we offer Psychotherapy sessions, which typically last 53 minutes, though there are times in which longer or shorter session times may be appropriate.
During an initial session, your psychotherapist will orient you to the process of therapy and will explain their unique practice approach. Those coming to Live Oak to access psychotherapy are encouraged to ask questions and to participate in the process of establishing goals and regularly discussing progress toward those goals. We look at the first 6 sessions as a bidirectional evaluation process. In these sessions, our therapists are evaluating the fit between therapist/client, and assessing if the goals you have in mind are in line with their own values, skills, and areas of expertise. We ask those who come to us for psychotherapy to evaluate if you feel a sense of fit with the therapist, and if the therapist is offering what is needed at this time. At the end of those six sessions, the therapist and client are encouraged to clarify if this is a good fit. If it is, the therapist and client will then move ahead in addressing the goals of therapy. If not, the therapist will offer referrals based on the increased clarity about the client’s needs and preferences at this time.
Both therapists at Live Oak as well as those pursuing services at Live Oak hold a diversity of intersecting identities. We value the uniqueness of each human. We have psychotherapists who are able to offer services in English, Spanish, French, Gujarati, and Urdu. We are, and we work with, people of varied abilities, genders, sexual orientations, racial identities, ethnicities, religions, relational structures and many other identities. Our therapists bring a broad range of professional experience and training.
To get connected for services, please submit an intake form and an Intake & Referral Coordinator will contact you within 72 business hours.
Psychotherapy Groups
We provide a variety of both on-going and time-limited psychotherapy and/or support groups. Our current offerings are reflected below, and information about the group format is included in the descriptions provided. To enroll in a psychotherapy group, either contact the listed group facilitator or fill out an intake form.
Please note that group session fees are determined by the facilitator and may vary between groups.
In between: Walking a Path Outside the Binary
Location: Currently meeting via Zoom
Group: This is a closed Support Group meaning you must register before the group starts and is limited to 10-12 participants.
Time/Day: Starting in the second week of September (Sept 9). 12 weeks long virtual group.
Fee: $25 per session, BCBS PPO (or any other insurance we accept), reach-out about sliding scale.
Existing as a Non Binary person in the world is often complex and challenging. There isn’t a clear cultural road for us to follow, we have to make it up as we go along. Join us in this group to explore different facets of the non binary experience, connect with the community, and build skills to help navigate a world that can be rigid, devoted to binary ideas, and often downright hostile.
ACT Backbone: mindful/mindless, experience/avoidance, fusion/defusion, context/content, values clarity/values confusion, passivity/committed action
Facilitators: John Guilfoile, Jae Avilez, Porter Green and Eros Imhoof
For more information or to enroll, contact the group facilitator: Porter Green at pgreen@liveoakchicago.com
Spoonie Support Group: Loving yourself and your body while living with chronic illness
Location: Currently meeting via Zoom
Time/Day: Every 2nd Saturday of the month from 11:00am – 12:30pm
An affirming community of folx with chronic illnesses who support one another in their experiences, struggles, and triumphs. Enjoy mutual support, improve self esteem, and learn skills to manage the impact of health problems. Focus is on physiological illness and its impact on mental health and quality of life.
A SPOONIE is a person with chronic illness. From “Spoon Theory,” the idea that people with chronic illness experience varying levels of energy and functioning from day-to-day, using the metaphor of waking up with a varying number of “spoons” each day.
Facilitator: Andrea Freerksen, LCSW
For more information contact the group facilitator: Andrea Freerksen, LCSW at afreerksen@liveoakchicago.com
BIPOC Spoonies: Exploring Lived Experience, Identity, and Environment
Location: Currently meeting via Zoom
Time/Day: Every first Saturday of the month 11:00AM – 12:30PM. All year round beginning Saturday, October 7, 2023.
Fee: $50 per session. We also accept BCBS PPO or NU Aetna and have sliding scale options of $25 per session.
This is an affinity support group for Black, Indigenous, People of Color who identify as disabled, have chronic illness, and/or have chronic pain. Please note that you do not need a formal medical diagnosis to join. It is okay if you are still exploring your own lived experience to disability or any chronic health condition and have questions about whether you belong in these communities. Auto-captions will be available. For any other access needs, please contact the facilitator.
An affirming community of folx with chronic illnesses who support one another in their experiences, struggles, and triumphs. Enjoy mutual support, improve self esteem, and learn skills to manage the impact of health conditions. Focus is on physiological illness and its impact on mental health and quality of life.
A SPOONIE is a person with chronic illness. From “Spoon Theory,” the idea that people with chronic illness experience varying levels of energy and functioning from day-to-day, using the metaphor of waking up with a varying number of “spoons” each day.
Facilitator: Lily Diego-Johnson
For more information, contact the group facilitator: Lily Diego-Johnson at ldiego@liveoakchicago.com
Support Group for Current and Former Sex Workers
Location: Zoom. This is a closed Support Group (meaning you must register before the group starts)
Time/Day: Tuesdays from 7:30-9pm (virtual) from June 20th – September 12th (no group on July 4th)
Fee: $45/session (with sliding scale option available)
This is a closed, 12-week topic group for current and former sex workers to build a supportive community and help each other navigate life, work, and relationships. We will explore topics like family and dating relationships, harm reduction, being “out,” coping with whorephobia, and more. All gender identities, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and sex work experience levels are welcome.
Facilitators: Sophia Etling
For more information or to enroll, contact the group facilitator: Sophia Etling at setling@liveoakchicago.com