My Approach to Helping
Kayla McGill is a licensed clinical professional counselor providing trauma-informed and individualized psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults. Common disorders and emotional concerns treated by this clinician include anxiety, depression, relationship issues, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, life transitions, autism, stress management, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Kayla provides treatment approaches that are specialized for each particular individual. While diagnoses are effective in providing a general concept of an individual's suffering, focus is geared towards specific symptoms to more effectively improve quality of life and functioning.
Ms. McGill has gained professional experience through non profit organizations within the city of Chicago and suburbs. Experience here included working with underprivileged youth in the DCFS system, wards of the state, and directly through the school system. These positions allowed this clinician to gain experience working in the inner city, the judicial system, and advocating through IEPs and other appropriate learning accommodations. In recent years, Kayla has worked more extensively with adults and adolescents through private practice addressing a variety of issues prevalent in our society.
Along with professional experience, Kayla graduated Iowa State University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Governors State University with a Masters of Art in Clinical Psychology. Ms. McGill elected to focus study in the neurosciences and holds a strong background in neuropsychology and trauma-focused therapy. Extracurricular work was completed through research in psycholinguistics and social psychology lab research at Iowa State University.
Aside from the sumptuous and complicated terminology, Kayla is a client-centered clinician who holds sincere and genuine empathy for others. She views all her clients with respect and admiration for the struggles they have experienced as well as the hope and willingness they show to help themselves through therapy. This journey and change can feel uncomfortable and scary but can also provide immense relief, growth, and strength. Kayla genuinely desires to hear each client's individual story, discover where they have been, and help guide them to get to where they want to be.