Amy Graham
------ Licensed Professional Counselor
------ Registered Expressive Arts Therapist
(she/her/hers)
Amy Graham, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Expressive Arts Therapist, is a passionate in-office and online therapist in Chicago who specializes in the treatment of adolescents, young adults, adults, seniors and mother/daughter relationships who are struggling with anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, eating disorders, perfectionism, anticipatory grief, bereavement, life transitions, relationships & adjustment, anger management, LGBTQ, general & Covid related stressors.
Areas of Expertise
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Anxiety, Depression, Mood Disorders, Trauma, Eating Disorders, Perfectionism, Anticipatory Grief, Bereavement, Life Transitions, Relationships, Adjustment Issues, Anger Management, LGBTQ, General & Covid related stressors
Amy’s therapeutic work and counseling is informed by her holistic framework and creative process to support the whole person - improving physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual well being. Combining Expressive Arts therapies and approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT), Humanistic, Person-Centered, Somatic Therapy, Trauma Focused Therapy and Mindfulness, Amy provides a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space to empower and motivate clients in the therapeutic process. Amy gently guides clients to discover the underlying causes of their symptoms and helps them to fulfill their potential for personal growth and change.
Expressive Arts therapy offers a deeper understanding of the meaning of events in ones life and the connection within ourselves. Creative expression helps individuals with problem solving, reasoning, increasing self awareness and self esteem, gaining insight, releasing emotional pain in the body, trauma recovery, coping skills and self care. Absolutely no artistic ability or experience is required whatsoever. The focus is always on process, not product.
Amy holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology specializing in Art Therapy from The Adler School of Professional Psychology. She completed her clinical internship with subsequent employment at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital prior to pursuing private practice. Amy also provided expressive arts therapy as part of a mental health treatment team for children, adolescents and adults in both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs treating a range of mental health diagnoses. Amy is also experienced with Hospice and Palliative care utilizing expressive arts therapy for comfort, meaningful reminiscence, legacy projects, unresolved past conflicts, reducing anxiety and depression during anticipatory grief and bereavement support.
A note from Amy:
The most rewarding part of my work is to witness a client begin to have awareness of the positive changes, inner strength, growth and healing they have nurtured and created within themselves.
Verbal and non-verbal creativity creates opportunities for the witnessing and sharing of life’s moments, experiences, and stories, whether big or small, and is able to evoke emotions, thoughts and ideas that connect us all. I deeply honor the privilege of supporting my clients on their journey of transformation. My meaningful work as an Expressive Therapist and mental health counselor fulfills my passion for helping others, sharing lived experiences and building connections through wholeness. My personal therapy style is best described as calming, encouraging, therapeutic and meaningful. My spare time is spent with friends and family, my goofy Goldendoodle Winnie, immersion in nature, yoga, cooking, seeing live music and travel.
While her office is located in downtown Chicago next to Millenium park for in-person sessions, she also welcomes and serves clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, South Loop, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Logan Square, Wicker Park, Bucktown and surrounding suburbs.