ABOUT

Jessica Emelia, LCPC

Hello, and welcome! .

My name is Jessica Emelia, and I've spent over 20 years as a therapist, helping people navigate anxiety and over-busy minds, relationships that need extra attention, life transitions (even happy ones!) that feel stressful and overwhelming, and the particular challenges that come with living a creative/artistic life.

I work with individuals, couples, and creatives — virtually, across all of Illinois.

I started my career in social services, working across Chicago to help people in crisis access housing and healthcare. I moonlighted in private practice and eventually opened my own practice in Wicker Park in 2018, which I now run exclusively through teletherapy.

I hold a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and am a fully Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 20+ years of experience.

I'm also a practicing musician and visual artist. My creative life shapes how I think about human nature, our sense of meaning, and what it actually takes to build a creative life alongside everything else. If you're an artist, a musician, a writer, or anyone navigating the tension between creative ambitions and the rest of your life, I get it in a way that goes beyond the clinical.

My style is warm, direct, and interactive, with gentle humor. I draw from cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic approaches, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness — and I'll work with you to find what actually fits your needs, tailoring our work together for something that works best for you.

If you are thinking about beginning therapy, or looking for a new therapist, I'd love to connect. Free 15-minute consultations are available — no pressure, just a conversation to see if we’re a good fit. Just click the button below to get started.

specialties

  • Anxiety can take many forms.  Some common forms of anxiety include:

    Panic Attacks - an experience of intense, acute fear that is both mental and physical in nature, that often happens at seemingly random moments.  Sufferers may feel an extreme tightness or constriction in their body, may feel they can’t breathe, may worry the panic won’t end, or may even fear they are having a heart attack.

    Generalized anxiety - a general, pervasive sense of worry or anxiety which permeates your daily functioning, getting in the way of going about and enjoying your daily life.

    Intrusive thoughts - repetitive, even obsessive thoughts outside of your control which cause great fear/distress, and may even cause you to avoid certain situations or behaviors. Some common examples of intrusive thinking include: fearing you may harm someone, fearing you’ll get fired, fearing there is something medically wrong with you, fearing something bad may happen to you or a loved one, revisiting old memories/conversations and playing them over and over in your mind. These are just a few examples of intrusive thinking which can negatively impact your day-to-day life.

    Anxiety is a highly common experience in today’s stress-filled world.  I have specialized for years in helping clients better understand their anxiety and find the right tools to help manage anxiety symptoms.  If you would like to address your anxiety and learn tools to manage it better, please visit my contact page to schedule an appointment.

  • You may be at a point in your life where you’re beginning to question your relationship with alcohol. We will work together better understand this relationship, identify patterns or triggers to problematic use, and work on goals supporting a healthier relationship.

  • Loss doesn't always look like mourning a death. Whether you're grieving a relationship that ended, a career that no longer fits, or a loved one you've lost, grief deserves real space and care. I work with clients through all kinds of loss, helping them process what happened and find a way forward.

  • Whether you are married, in a partnership, or considering taking your relationship to the next level, issues can arise in even the healthiest of relationships.  Common relationship issues include:

    • Communication issues

    • Difficulty working through conflict

    • Recurring issues (disagreements you have over and over again)

    • Being uncertain what a”healthy relationship” really means, and how yours measures up

    • Affairs (physical and/or emotional)

    • Issues with other family members

    • Substance abuse/dependency issues

    • Deciding whether to move the relationship forward

    • Considering whether to have children

    • Transitioning into life with a new baby

    I have worked for years helping couples develop and improve communication/conflict resolution skills, work through affairs, identify whether to move the relationship forward, and manage life transitions.  I am careful to consider each person’s perspective and experience, and will work with you to find a healthy dynamic that is unique to your own relationship and personalities.

    If you and your partner are interested in couples counseling, please visit the contact page to schedule an appointment.

  • As a professional musician and artist myself, I understand very well the ups and downs of the creative path. The creative journey is both internal and external - finding your voice, dealing with doubt, and developing your artistic skills, as well as navigating the challenges of building an artistic career (while probably having a day job too).

    We will work together to support your journey as you navigate life as an artist.

  • Over time, probably due to my old office location, I have found myself working frequently with individuals in both the legal and tech fields.

    While my practice is by no means limited to these populations, I have gained a great deal of insight in the challenges and rewards of the legal and tech industries, and enjoy helping professionals navigate the particularities of these career paths.

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