Sandra Stevens, M.A., LCPC, CCTP, CSTIP
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor & Certified Clinical Trauma Professional — therapy for teens, young adults, individuals, and couples
Meet Sandra
I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) with experience helping teens, young adults, individuals, and couples navigate life’s challenges. I bring a warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed presence to my work, integrating multiple evidence-based approaches to meet each client’s unique needs.
I understand firsthand how overwhelming and unpredictable life can feel. Like many people, I’ve had to juggle parenting, family needs, work, relationships, and my own growth, often all at once. These experiences influence how I show up as a therapist: non-judgmental, compassionate, and genuinely present. I aim to create a space where you feel understood, supported, and seen, no matter what challenges you’re navigating.
A good portion of my caseload is teens and young adults. These years ask an enormous amount of people — school pressure, friendships, first serious relationships, leaving home, figuring out who you are apart from who you were raised to be — usually without much support attached to it. Having juggled parenting alongside my own work and growth, I also understand what this stretch looks like from the parent’s side of the door.
My background includes training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), attachment-based and psychodynamic work, narrative and Gestalt approaches, Sociometry and Psychodrama, strengths-based approaches, mindfulness, and art therapy. My goal is to create a safe and supportive space where individuals, couples, and families can strengthen connection, resilience, and self-awareness.
Therapy for Teens and Young Adults in Chicago
I work with adolescents from age 14 through the twenties. For teens, that usually looks like anxiety about school and performance, friendships and social pressure, family conflict, anger and impulsivity, ADHD, or a general sense that something’s off that’s hard to put words to. For young adults, it’s more often the gap between the life you planned and the one you’re actually living — first jobs, relationships that keep repeating the same pattern, moving out, moving back, and the low-grade feeling of falling behind.
Not every teenager wants to sit across from an adult and talk. I’m trained in art therapy and DBT skills work, so we have other ways in when talking directly isn’t where someone is yet. As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, I also work with teens carrying things that started long before the current problem.
Sessions are collaborative, not lecture-shaped. You set the direction; I bring tools, gentle challenge, and a nonjudgmental presence. I don’t report back on conversations, and I’ll be clear with everyone in the first session about exactly where the confidentiality lines sit.
For parents: you don’t have to know what’s wrong before you call. Most parents reach out because something shifted and they can’t name it. A free 15-minute consultation is a good place to start, and I’m glad to talk through fit before anyone commits to anything.
Sessions available in English and Spanish. Third Coast Wellness offers therapy for adolescents and young adults in Chicago and Northfield and virtually throughout Illinois.
How I Help
- Teen anxiety, school stress, and social pressure.
- Young adult transitions — college, first jobs, moving out.
- Identity, self-esteem, and finding your footing.
- Anxiety, depression, and trauma recovery.
- ADHD, anger, and emotional regulation.
- Family conflict and parenting challenges.
- Relationship and intimacy concerns.
- Couples therapy and communication challenges.
- Affair recovery and relationship repair.
- Men’s mental health.
- Grief and loss.
- Faith and spirituality integration (upon request).
My Approach
Sessions with me are collaborative, strengths-based, and mindful. We’ll slow down and make space for your emotions, explore the stories you’ve carried, and identify patterns that no longer serve you. I offer gentle challenge, practical tools, and a nonjudgmental presence so you can experiment with new ways of relating to yourself and others—both in and outside the therapy room.
Specialties
- Teen & Adolescent Therapy (ages 14+)
- Young Adult Transitions & Identity
- Anxiety, Depression & Trauma Recovery
- School, Academic & Performance Stress
- Peer Relationships & Social Pressure
- ADHD, Anger & Impulse Control
- Family Conflict & Parenting Challenges
- Self-Esteem & Boundaries
- Couples Therapy & Communication
- Affair Recovery & Relationship Repair
- Relationship & Intimacy Concerns
- Men’s Mental Health
- Grief & Loss
- Faith & Spirituality Integration (upon request)
Training & Background
As an LCPC and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with seven years in practice, I draw from multiple evidence-based modalities to support clients across adolescence, young adulthood, and beyond. My clinical experience includes work with teens and young adults, individual and couples counseling, and trauma treatment.
Credentials & Professional Training
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) — State of Illinois
- M.A. — Counseling
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
- Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional (CSTIP)
- Seven years in clinical practice
- Works with clients ages 14 and up
- Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Training in attachment-based and psychodynamic therapy
- Training in narrative, Gestalt, and multicultural approaches
- Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples
- Training in Sociometry & Psychodrama
- Art Therapy-Informed Practices
- Strengths-Based & Mindfulness-Based Approaches
- Sessions available in English and Spanish
Ages & Availability
- Teens (14+), young adults, and adults
- Individuals and couples
- In-person in Chicago & Northfield
- Virtual care throughout Illinois
- Sessions in English and Spanish
Insurance
I accept BlueCross BlueShield and Aetna. Out-of-network documentation is available for other plans.
You Deserve to Feel at Peace
Taking the first step toward feeling better takes courage, and you’ve already shown that by being here.
Available in-person in Northfield and Chicago, or virtually throughout Illinois