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Merrisa Dawn Santos, MA, LPC, Provisionally Licensed LCPC, NCC, CCTMHP, CCTP, CCATP. CMIP, ADHD-CCSP, CAGCS, WMHS

Merrisa Dawn Santos, MA, LPC, Provisionally Licensed LCPC, NCC, CCTMHP, CCTP, CCATP. CMIP, ADHD-CCSP, CAGCS, WMHS
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Merrisa Dawn Santos, MA, LPC, Provisionally Licensed LCPC, NCC, CCTMHP, CCTP, CCATP. CMIP, ADHD-CCSP, CAGCS, WMHS

Verified
Telehealth Available
Professions: Life Coach, Counselor, Mental Health Counselor
License Status: I'm a licensed professional.
Primary Credential: Licensed Professional Counselor
Secondary Credential: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
Supervisor: Steven Thorpe, LCPC
Telephone: 630-749-9623

Billing and Insurance:

I am an in-network provider for:

  • Aetna
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
  • Cigna
  • Molina
Evening Availability

Therapy in:

Chicago, Illinois, 60613

1327 W Washington Blvd

Chicago, Illinois, 60607

What's My Approach to Therapy?

I sincerely believe that each of us is born into this world deserving of happiness, safety, and love. For some of us, the road to emotional wellness can be impacted by forces and experiences beyond our control. At times, we can lose sight of the beauty life has to offer us due to potential trauma, family history, or hardships we’ve experienced. My goal is to help you uncover, rediscover, and reclaim the joy and purpose in your life through compassionate, welcoming, and conversational counseling services. Using a holistic approach focused on connecting the mind, body, and spirit, I help you connect with your higher purpose and experience life free from emotional pain. As a bilingual practitioner, I offer compassionate, collaborative services that help you live a happier, more rewarding life filled with joy and purpose. Emotional stress and setbacks are a normal part of our human existence; however, these challenges can have a tremendous impact on how we view ourselves and our lives. My goal is to help you explore, understand, and overcome your obstacles, and start living a life filled with promise, hope, and possibility.

My Practice & Services

I am adept at working with patients from various cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations. I use a holistic approach that focuses on the mind, body, and spirit to promote mental health and well-being. As a bilingual practitioner, I believe in working within a multicultural lens and am committed to providing compassionate, collaborative counseling services and therapeutic approaches across the entire human landscape. As a critical thinker and experienced mental health professional, this helps me utilize mind-mapping techniques to help patients achieve a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

I specialize in solution-based, strength-based, person-centered, and narrative methodologies derived through a neurocounseling and trauma-sensitive multiculturally competent viewpoint. I am a conscientious and dedicated practitioner in the field of behavioral mental healthcare and the study of neuroscience. Throughout my career, I've helped numerous individuals, couples, and families treat various forms of ADHD, anxiety, depression, bereavement, family conflict, self-regulation, trauma, PTSD, and more. I am highly empathetic and flexible, striving to provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment for patients to enjoy exploring new approaches to counseling that can better meet patients' needs. Among my qualifications, I am also an expert in Psychoanalytic Techniques, MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy), REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), incorporating various Art Therapy techniques as well as crisis and trauma intervention services.

Therapy Services & Specialties

Client Age Groups I Work With

  • Adults
  • Elders

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Groups I Work With

  • Military Veterans LGBTQIA+ Women Hispanic Latino African American Asian Indian Spiritual Professionals Executives Entrepreneurs First Responders Middle Eastern Elderly Men.

Industries & Communities Served

  • Entertainment Industry
  • First Responder/Medical Professionals
  • Military/Law Enforcement
  • Education
  • Self-Employed and Freelance Professionals
  • Professional Sports
  • LGBTQ+
  • BIPOC
  • Union First

Client Challenges & Concerns I Address

  • Abandonment
  • Abortion / Post Abortion Issues
  • Abuse / Abuse Survivor Issues
  • Adjusting to Change / Life Transitions
  • Aggression and Violence
  • Aging and Geriatric Issues
  • Agoraphobia
  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment Issues
  • Blended Family Issues
  • Caregiver Issues / Stress
  • Chronic Pain
  • Communication Problems
  • Depression
  • Domestic Violence
  • Family Problems
  • First Responders
  • Grief, Loss, and Bereavement
  • LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Issues
  • Life Purpose / Meaning / Inner-Guidance
  • Military and Veterans Issues
  • Multicultural Concerns
  • Post Partum Depression
  • Posttraumatic Stress / Trauma
  • Seasonal Affective (SAD)
  • Self-Actualization
  • Self-Care
  • Self-Compassion
  • Self-Confidence
  • Self-Criticism
  • Self-Doubt
  • Self-Esteem
  • Self-Harm
  • Self-Love
  • Sensitivity to Criticism
  • Sex Addiction
  • Sexual Assault / Abuse
  • Sexuality / Sex Therapy
  • Social Anxiety / Phobia
  • Women's Issues

Therapeutic Approaches & Evidence-Based Methods

See other therapists in Chicago, IL.