Lauren Clancy

My name is Lauren Clancy and I am licensed in Illinois with 22 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with grief, stress, anxiety, motivation, self-esteem, confidence, divorce, hormone issues, and focus (ADHD). I am passionate about working with families especially moms. I also work with teens and young adults who are struggling to find their place and manage the stress of life as they move through difficult transitions. Working with clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment is a priority for me. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support and empower you in that journey. Do you often feel overwhelmed, emotional, and stuck trying to navigate life? Sometimes relationships, work, kids, or everyday life can feel like it’s too much to handle. Does it feel like you have no control over what is happening to you at times, feeling like you are surviving instead of thriving? This is a common feeling and you are not alone. Therapy can help with this. By helping you to better understand yourself and improve self-awareness, you will build emotional competence and confidence. Noticing patterns of what may be hurting you (what does not work) but also what is helping you (what does work) to feel more peaceful and in control is useful to make changes. And building a toolbox of strategies that will be individually designed to meet your needs is a key component of the work I do with clients and can do with you. One strategy I use often in sessions is visualization. Being able to imagine yourself stepping out of a situation can often give you the clarity and perspective needed to see things differently and understand what you need. Visualize for a moment that you are standing in a beautiful sea taking in the vibrant colors, smells, and sights of the beach. However, quickly it changes from sunny and calm to cloudy and choppy. You begin to feel frustrated thinking "What happened, I was enjoying myself". Disappointment, sadness maybe even anger build as you question to yourself "Why did this happen. It is not fair. I deserve a nice day at the beach". You may even start blaming yourself thinking "It is my fault. I should have checked the forecast". These feelings are valid but the thoughts are not helpful to you. We can probably agree that life, just like the weather is unpredictable. Imagine a new response where you accept the situation for what it is and are okay with it because you are prepared emotionally to handle it. Weather and sea conditions cannot always be accurately predicted, mother nature can be like that and so can life. In therapy, we can reflect on your life and how you embrace it as if you were standing in front of that unpredictable sea. We can re-frame challenging situations. We can think about how to prepare for the unpredictable weather and maybe even appreciate the beauty of it. We can also learn to handle those waves. Not everyone will have the same outlook. Just like life, we all may experience and react to this same sea differently. Maybe someone grabs a surfboard and rides those waves while another opts to jump in a boat and cruise along. Another might decide to sit on the beach and watch it all from the safety of the sand. Each one of these choices is fine if it brings you joy and peace. This is where you feeling empowered comes in. You get to decide how you want to experience life and decide what works best for you. Therapy can help you figure out what you need and give you the tools to get there.