Counseling in Chicago and greater Illinois

Specializing in Menopause Mental Health, Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, Depression, Relationship Issues, Parenting Support and Coaching, and Grief

Counseling in Chicago, Illinois

Counseling Chicago: Are You Exhausted From Holding Everything Together?

Everything feels stressful right now. There are so many things pulling you in so many directions. Your life isn't going the way you thought it would. You were told that getting older would bring wisdom and confidence, that things would get easier. But right now, you feel even more unsure of yourself than you did when you were younger. That gap between what you expected and what you are actually living is its own kind of grief.


There is so much to balance. You want to be a good parent, and you wish that there was a handbook for it, something to tell you whether you are doing it right. Your relationship with your partner feels trickier as life keeps getting busier and busier. And your friends, where did they go? You know everyone is going through this same season of life, but you miss them. You feel lonely.

A lot of the time, you don't even recognize yourself. Your mind is often racing. Your body often feels older than it actually is. The motivation to get through everything is hard to find, even though so many people and so many things depend on you. You keep showing up for everyone else, but somewhere along the way, you stopped showing up for yourself.

You want to feel back in control of your life. You want to feel good about the path you are on. You want to believe that this feeling isn't permanent.


I'm Sarah Schufreider, LCSW

Sarah Schufreider, LCSW Counselor in Chicago

I'm Sarah, a licensed clinical social worker offering counseling in Chicago, Illinois, and I help people who are navigating life transitions feel more in control and more like themselves again. Whether you are stepping into parenthood, managing the physical and emotional shifts of perimenopause or menopause, working through relationship challenges, grieving a loss, or simply reckoning with what it means to get older, you do not have to figure it out alone.

I have been doing this work for more than 17 years, and in that time I have worked with people from every walk of life. Small children and elderly adults. In domestic violence programs, inpatient hospital settings, a homeless Veterans shelter, and an outpatient private practice. I say this not to impress you, but to reassure you. I have seen a lot. Nothing you tell me will make me fall out of my chair. Nothing has yet!

I work with clients in a way that is down to earth and real. There is space here to process the hard stuff, and there is also room for humor and lightness when that is what the moment calls for. Therapy does not have to feel heavy every single session. Sometimes the most healing thing is to laugh a little and remember that you are more than your hardest moments.

My Approach to Counseling

My approach to counseling in Chicago is built on three things I genuinely believe in.

  1. You are the expert in your own life. I bring mental health expertise and help facilitate the process, but you know yourself and your situation better than anyone. This is a fully collaborative relationship, not something I do to you or for you.

  2. I work from a strengths-based perspective. That means we do not ignore the things you want to change, but we also do not overlook what is already working. In my experience, motivation for change tends to grow when people become more aware of the strengths and skills they already have. We build from what is solid.

  3. I believe deeply in the mind-body connection. How you feel physically affects your mental health, and how you feel mentally affects your body. Because of this, I often integrate breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, and body-based practices into sessions when clients are open to it. I am also a registered yoga teacher and certified in Trauma Informed Yoga. That does not mean you will be doing yoga poses in our sessions, though you are welcome to if the mood strikes. It means that the relationship between your mind and your body informs everything about how I approach this work.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP DOING THIS ALONE!

You have been carrying a lot, and you have been doing it for a long time. The fact that you are reading this tells me you are ready for something to be different, even if you are not sure yet what that looks like or where to start.


Reaching out is the first step. To learn more, you can reach out in one of the following 3 ways:

I’d love to help you. Click here to schedule your free 15- minute phone consultation for counseling in Chicago.

Click on the counseling specialty below to learn in detail how I help!

Menopause

Postpartum Depression

Relationship Therapy Online

Relationship Issues

Anxiety

 

Online Counseling in Illinois

Currently Offering Virtual Telehealth Sessions for anyone based in Illinois

  • Being completely virtual allows more flexibility for clients to be able to meet with me around their busy schedules.

  • Most clients meet with me virtually every week. That consistency matters. It creates a steady container of support so that life starts to feel less like one long crisis and more like something you are actively navigating, on your own terms. am based out of Chicago, but am able to see clients who reside anywhere within the State of Illinois.

 
 

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicago Counseling at Six Hearts Counseling


 From Overwhelmed to Back on Track. Counseling Chicago for Life's Hardest Transitions.