COUNSELING
can give you the space and time to
explore personal concerns
bring your whole self more fully into the world
address and better manage troubling symptoms and habits
take on challenges and work past obstacles
connect, reconnect and transform family and community
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. Our intake coordinator, Ashley Allcorn, is available by phone and email to help you find the resources you need.
To reach Ashley: info@cca-cct.com or 773-281-7200 x 0
Please leave your email and phone #, and let us know your preferred contact method and times.
We are all available to talk with you about counseling services, training opportunities, and person-centered community events.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions may help you through the intake process and, will, we hope, make your first visit as comfortable and productive as possible. Please feel free to ask for any additional information you need to get started with the right therapist.
Do I need therapy?
Friends, family, healthcare providers, or other colleagues and mentors may recommend that you see a therapist, but you are the person best able to decide if psychotherapy will be useful to you. Whether you are familiar with counseling or are a newcomer to this work, feel free to talk with us about your concerns and hopes for meeting with a therapist. During a brief telephone interview, our intake therapist will ask about your reasons for considering therapy now, and may talk with you about current emotional stressors, job, social or family difficulties, unresolved challenges, and about past experiences of therapy (if any) so that we can determine if a CCA therapist will be a good fit for your needs now.
In that conversation, we can answer any questions you have about fees, insurance, office location, and therapists. We encourage you to let us know if you feel you may be more comfortable working with a therapist with a particular identity (age, gender identity, ethnic, sexual orientation, belief system, etc.) or other quality, and we will try to accommodate your preference. If it becomes clear that psychotherapy at CCA is not your next step, we will help you find other resources.
How do I set an appointment?
Reach out to us by telephone (773-281-7200 x 0) or email (info@cca-cct.com) at any time. We generally return calls and conduct intakes between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. However, we can arrange to contact you in the evening or on weekends if normal business hours are not convenient. Please leave your name, telephone number, and the best times to reach you. We will protect your privacy and do not mention CCA or counseling services until we reach you directly. If you wish special discretion, please indicate that in your message.
We are generally able to provide an appointment within one week of your call.
How do we start?
When you meet your therapist, they will answer your questions, give you an overview of policies, and begin the work of understanding your experiences and goals. We place great importance on your ability to trust and speak freely with your therapist and aim to find you a therapist who is the best possible match for you. If you do not feel a good connection with the first therapist you meet, you can speak directly with that therapist or with our intake coordinator; if you would like a change, we will assist in finding another therapist at CCA or elsewhere.
What about scheduling?
Most people attend therapy sessions once per week. Duration of therapy may be a few weeks to a few years. You and your therapist will determine what is right for you; you are not committed nor limited to any specific number of appointments.
Please be on time for your appointments so that you receive your full appointment time. Please notify your therapist if you will be late or not attending a session. We request 48 hours' notice if you are unable to keep an appointment.
What are your fees? Can I use my insurance?
Many of our clinicians are in network for Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO, BlueChoice PPO, Aetna PPO, Cigna PPO, and UBH/Optum PPO policies. We provide out of network services for other insurance plans. Our intake coordinator can help you sort through insurance benefits and will set a fee with you prior to your initial appointment. We offer reduced fees if your resources will not cover the regular costs of therapy.
How can I make this worthwhile?
Be an active participant. Ask questions when you don't understand. Make your wishes known. Let the therapist know if you are confused or uncomfortable about anything being discussed. This is your therapy, and you should feel understood, responded to, and free to express yourself. We provide support, perspective, resources, and a level of understanding and acceptance that can foster your innate capacities for clarity and growth. Use our skills and our presence to find the relief and change you seek.
Specialties
Long standing emotional distress
Therapy can help to relieve negative thoughts or feelings that get in the way of living peacefully and productively. Examples of long term problems include: depression, anxiety, mental fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or feeling worn our and overwhelmed by society, work or home life.
Relationship problems
Disagreements and bad feelings with any significant person in your life can lead to stress, self-doubt, anger, and confusion. Therapy can provide an opportunity to sort through your feelings and to develop better communication and coping strategies. You can attend therapy sessions alone or with your intimate partners, family members, or friends.
Surviving trauma
Weathering years of micro traumas or experiencing specific traumatic events can upset your sense of safety in the world and can have long lasting impact on your trust in yourself and in others. Trauma informed therapy can help you to regain balance and perspective. In the safety of a confidential session, you can sort out conflicting reactions, develop coping skills, and make plans to move forward with increased resilience.
Depression and Anxiety
You may experience an acute change in your mood or anxiety levels after a difficult life event, or you may have been feeling low or out of sorts for as long as you can remember. Psychotherapy can be a key component in a return (or start) to experiencing relief and a more optimal state. We’ll help you to clarify contributing factors, find supportive resources and interventions, and make plans for lasting change.
Life transitions
There’s often little warning when we face major life changes: beginning or ending a relationship, starting a new job, moving, adjusting to a new health status. We can’t always anticipate the effect on our psychological health, and these transitions can deplete emotional resources. A therapist can help you sort through your options, better understand the choices you have made and are facing, and assist you in planning and evaluating your next steps.
Concerns about your child
Young people experiencing difficulties with parents, peers, or teachers can often benefit from an individual relationship with a therapist with whom they can explore concerns that may be difficult to articulate at home. We work in partnership with parent(s) and guardian(s), to address developmental tasks, improve expression of thoughts and feelings, and help your child to better understand themselves and their world. At this time, our clinicians work with young people aged 14 and older, but we can assist in finding individual therapy for your younger family members.
Intimate partner communication
We often settle into unsatisfactory or damaging patterns of communication and behavior in our intimate partnerships. You may not understand why you hurt each other or behave the way you do. We provide a safe space for each of you to express your concerns, air your opinions, and find a way to reconnect.
Gender identity, Sexual Orientation and Affirmative LGBTQI identity development
We work with you, your intimate partners, and your families to provide an affirming space to support self and community awareness and acceptance and to help you explore and cope with the challenges of living in a heterosexist and cisgenderist society. Our therapists work together to examine bias, develop knowledge and understanding, and to ensure that we provide a space that is informed and aware.
Personal growth
Although we often seek therapy to relieve pain or distress, a therapeutic relationship can also be a place for setting goals, exploring next steps, and challenging ourselves to grow. Dialogue with a therapist can give you the space to better understand your strengths, strategize and practice how to overcome personal tendencies or obstacles, and make plans for new ventures.
Creative block
Artists, musicians, theater performers, writers and anyone engaged in creative work challenge themselves to examine and communicate their experiences to the world. Therapy can help to facilitate a more attuned personal experience, a clearer expression of one's perspective, and a deeper journey into ones' personal creative process.
concerns about sex life, performance, relationships
Dissatisfaction with sexual response and problems with intimacy can cause stress and feelings of inadequacy or shame. Individual and partners therapy can help facilitate communication and increase satisfaction in the relationship. We work from a sex positive framework, affirmative of your identity, pleasures, and relationship, and we work in tandem with certified sex therapists to provide specialized care as needed.
Grief and loss
In addition to the grief and shock of losing someone close, you may have unresolved issues that leave you with feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, or relief. Therapy can help you to process these feelings and to recover from your loss.
Fears and phobia
Panic and anxiety triggered by specific objects or actions can limit your daily life. Therapy can assist you to better understand, face and diffuse the power of these debilitating problems.
Alcohol and substance use
If your relationship to drugs or alcohol is feeling unmanageable, psychotherapy can be part of a healing system focused on getting your life more in line with your intentions. Individual therapy, group programs, and appropriate medical assistance can support you and your loved ones as you navigate the challenges of creating sustainable change.
Body issues and disordered Eating
If you feel discomfort with your body, have worries about how you eat, or have persistent thoughts of food or exercise, you may be struggling with disordered eating or body image. Therapy can assist in developing a more comfortable relationship to your body, better self-acceptance, and a more accurate understanding of factors contributing to your self-criticism and pain. We work with allied professionals to help you develop a healthy relationship to your body and food.
Therapy and Support Groups
Patterns and Choices
A safe and confidential mixed gender discussion group where you can sort through feelings about your current intimate relationships
This group may be right for you if you want to:
clarify your values and identify priorities
take action and move through feeling stuck
better understand conflict in your relationship
learn ways to have difficult conversations
identify how you can make a difference
We provide an opportunity for you to articulate your desires and goals, gain insight into your part in the challenges of being in relationship, become more accepting of yourself and your partner, and make honest decisions and plans.
Details: Group meets for five consecutive weekday evening sessions of 1.5 hours each. Please call intake 773-281-7200 or info@cca-cct.com for specifics.
MANAGING SOCIAL ANXIETY IN A CHAnGING WORLD
A group for anyone wanting connection and resources in this time of conflict and social change
This group may be right for you if you:
are feeling stuck and overwhelmed by world news and post-pandemic social changes
want to revitalize your interpersonal connections but are still recovering from pandemic isolation and anxiety
want to build strong support systems and community
We offer this space to share experiences and discuss coping strategies for managing social anxiety, isolation, and ongoing change in these particularly challenging times. Become more accepting of yourself and your experiences and find strength and resilience for moving forward.
Details: Group meets bimonthly for 1.5 hours per session. Call or email intake 773-281-7200 x 0 or info@cca-cct.com for specifics.