Mihaela Bernard, MA, LCPC

Hi! If you are looking for a professional counselor for yourself or your children, you've come to the right place. People call me Misha for short and I specialize in helping children, adolescents and their parents improve the quality of their relationships, bring about understanding and change in their lives for a happy and healthy family. I also work with adults, who struggle in their relationships andor have had painful experiences in their lives that have left them feeling depressed, anxious or angry. We will work together to identify the sources of yours or your children's difficulties and decide on a treatment plan that best fits your needs. I welcome feedback and tailor my approach to best serve each individual family and person.

I am a certified child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapist. My office is located in downtown Elmhurst, in the heart of the community, right next to the city center fountain, a walking distance from the train station and next door to Starbucks and other local restaurants and businesses. It's a 15 to 30min drive from most nearby suburbs, including Oak Park, Oak Brook, Naperville, Glenn Ellyn, Wheaton, Lombard, Geneva, St. Charles, Lisle, etc. There is free 3-hour parking on the street and a large, free, indoor parking lot off of Addison street. In my practice, we will work together to help you andor your family feel better about yourselves, improve the quality of your relationships and identify different ways to connect and cope. If you'd like to use your insurance to cover for your therapy, I am in network with BCBS, United Health CareOptum, Cigna and Magellan. I also have a limited number of slots allocated for families, who are willing to commit to the therapeutic process but do not have insurance and cannot afford to pay my full fee. To decide whether or not I am the right fit for you and your family, please, give me a call for a free 15-min phone consultation.

- Anxious, angry, withdrawn and difficult children and adolescents, who may or may not have special education needs - Boys and girls, who pull their hair, eyebrows andor eyelashes, and pick on their skin - Teens and adults, who self-injure - Children and teens, who have been hospitalized and are transitioning back homeschool - Stressed and overwhelmed moms and dads - Parents, who feel overwhelmed by the parenting responsibilities and struggle to connect - Young adults, transitioning to independent living - Young adults, struggling with mental illness - depression, bipolar, anxiety, social anxiety, suicidal ideation and psychosis.

My job as a psychotherapist is to help people improve the quality of their relationships through a deeper understanding of themselves and their loved ones. I love using the therapeutic process and the safe space therapy provides to connect with people, to listen to their stories and to help them make sense of what's happening to themselves or their children. Seeing people make positive change in their lives, leaving old patterns behind and strengthening their talents and creativity is why I do what I do. The most gratifying part of my work is when people feel strong, in control and happy again. Life is hard. Period. But we don't have to do it all alone. Let's do it together. You can learn more about my approach to therapy on my website as well as through my Practical Psychoanalysis Blog for PsychCentral.com, where I apply psychoanalytic concepts to modern day issues and concerns.