Effective Depression Treatment and Stress Management

Partners for Change of Chicago, Illinois, is a team of experienced therapists skilled in depression treatment, stress management, couples counseling, and much more. If you have an issue you'd like help working through, our practice provides a neutral space where your concerns are our primary focus.

Depression Treatment

While some variation in mood is a normal part of life, ongoing feelings of sadness, lack of enthusiasm, disruption in sleeping and eating patterns, and difficulty in completing responsibilities may be indicative of clinical depression. Depression may have a biological or genetic basis or may be related to an acute situation such as a relationship difficulty, environmental stressor, or loss. Depression may also be reflective of a problematic, chronic behavioral pattern. We listen carefully and seek to understand what is causing the depression. We develop specific behavioral strategies to help individuals improve their mood and energy. In those situations where a medication evaluation makes sense, we carefully refer to psychiatrists whose judgments we respect.

Anxiety and Stress Management

Occasional periods of heightened anxiety are a normal part of life, however, ongoing stress that disrupts the quality of life and impacts an individuals' ability to function needs to be assessed. Excessive anxiety and worry may have physical or genetic roots, be in reaction to an acute situation or trauma, or may be part of a lifelong problem. Panic attacks are physically intense experiences of terror, and often include difficulty in breathing and a sense of loss of control. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by the re-experiencing of a previous trauma and can create extreme anxiety. We listen carefully and help our clients understand the factors that have led to problematic anxiety. We utilize cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, relaxation training, meditation and a variety of other tools to help our clients learn how to reduce and manage problematic anxiety. If a medication evaluation makes sense, we work closely with various consulting psychiatrists.