Frequently Asked Questions About Online Therapy in Illinois
Questions About Starting Online Therapy
Do you offer online therapy throughout Illinois?
Yes. Lighthouse Counseling Solutions is a virtual-only practice offering online therapy to adults located in Illinois. Sessions are held through a HIPAA-compliant video platform, allowing you to attend therapy from the privacy and convenience of your home or office.
How does online therapy work?
Online therapy works much like an in-person therapy session, except sessions take place by secure video. Before your appointment, you will receive instructions and a private session link. You can join from a computer, tablet, or other compatible device in a private location within Illinois.
Do you accept insurance?
I currently accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO and Aetna PPO plans. I do not accept Medicaid or Medicare. Insurance coverage can vary by plan, so benefits and eligibility should be verified before beginning services.
What can I expect during my first appointment?
Your first few sessions are focused on understanding what brings you to therapy, reviewing relevant history, identifying current concerns, and beginning to develop treatment goals. I use a trauma-informed, non-invasive approach to gathering background information, which means you will not be expected to disclose difficult experiences before you feel ready. Sessions typically last approximately 50 to 55 minutes. Before your first appointment, you will receive digital consent, privacy, practice policy, and intake forms to complete.
Do you offer a free therapy consultation?
Yes. I offer a free 15-minute consultation for prospective clients. This gives you an opportunity to briefly discuss what you are looking for in therapy, ask questions about my approach, and determine whether working together may feel like a good fit. You can request a consultation by email, or through the contact form.
What is your cancellation policy?
Appointments canceled with less than 24 hours' notice and missed appointments may be subject to a $75 cancellation fee. Please review your practice paperwork for the most current cancellation and no-show policy.
Questions About the Issues I Treat
What concerns do you specialize in treating?
I primarily work with adult women navigating anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, adult ADHD, complex trauma, and the long-term effects of emotionally immature family relationships. Therapy often focuses on understanding patterns that developed earlier in life while building greater self-trust, emotional regulation, confidence, and healthier relationships in the present.
Do you work with adult children of emotionally immature parents?
Yes. I work with women who identify as adult children of emotionally immature parents, sometimes referred to as ACEIP. Therapy may explore people-pleasing, guilt, self-doubt, difficulty setting boundaries, emotional hypervigilance, perfectionism, and feeling responsible for other people's emotions. The goal is not simply to analyze the past, but to understand how earlier relationship patterns may still be affecting your life and relationships today.
Do you provide therapy for complex PTSD and relational trauma?
Yes. I work with women experiencing symptoms associated with complex PTSD, developmental trauma, and relational trauma. These patterns may include chronic anxiety, emotional hypervigilance, people-pleasing, shame, perfectionism, difficulty trusting yourself, emotional exhaustion, and challenges with boundaries or relationships. Therapy can help you better understand these patterns and develop healthier ways of responding to stress, conflict, and emotional triggers.
Can therapy help with people-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries?
Yes. People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries are common reasons women seek therapy. These patterns may develop when maintaining harmony, avoiding conflict, or taking care of other people's emotions once felt necessary for maintaining connection or emotional safety. Therapy can help you identify these patterns, tolerate the discomfort that can come with setting limits, and build relationships that allow for greater honesty, reciprocity, and self-respect.
Do you work with women experiencing perfectionism and burnout?
Yes. I frequently work with women who feel exhausted from constantly trying to meet high expectations, avoid mistakes, manage everything themselves, or prove their worth through productivity. Therapy can help you explore the beliefs and patterns that contribute to perfectionism and burnout while developing healthier expectations, stronger boundaries, and more sustainable ways of navigating work, relationships, and daily life.
Do you work with ADHD in adult women?
Yes. I work with adult women who have ADHD or identify with ADHD-related challenges such as overwhelm, executive functioning difficulties, emotional dysregulation, perfectionism, masking, procrastination, and burnout. Therapy can focus on understanding how ADHD interacts with anxiety, self-esteem, relationships, expectations, and daily functioning while developing strategies that work with your brain rather than constantly fighting against it.