Children, Adolescents, Teens, Adults
Life can feel manageable when everything goes according to plan—but life rarely unfolds exactly as we expect.
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Stressful or traumatic experiences can affect the way we understand ourselves, respond to challenges, and interact with the people and world around us. Over time, we may become caught in patterns that once helped us cope but no longer support the life we want to build.
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I believe every person possesses strengths and resilience that can help them navigate change. My role is to help you recognize those strengths, better understand the challenges affecting you, and develop tools that support your individual goals.
I provide therapy through Calm Mind Counseling Center’s Forest Park office and online for clients located in Illinois.
Meet Noah
I am a Licensed Social Worker and EMDR-trained therapist with a Master of Social Work from Syracuse University.
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Much of my professional experience has involved working with children, adolescents, and families. I also work with adults who are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, difficult transitions, relationship concerns, and patterns that interfere with their growth or well-being.
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My approach is grounded in the belief that people are more than the problems bringing them to therapy. Each person has experiences, relationships, environments, abilities, and sources of support that shape how they respond to life.
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Therapy can help us understand the complete picture.
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Together, we can identify the factors contributing to your current concerns, recognize the strengths and resources already available to you, and develop strategies that reflect your individual circumstances and aspirations.
Who I Work With
I have experience working with:
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Children
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Adolescents
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Teens
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Adults
People may seek therapy for concerns involving:
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Anxiety
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Depression
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Trauma and post-traumatic stress
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Behavioral concerns
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Family conflict
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Life transitions
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Peer and relationship difficulties
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Self-esteem and self-concept
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Emotional regulation
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ADHD or autism-related concerns
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Chronic illness or health-related stress
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Difficulty coping with change
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Patterns that no longer feel helpful
These concerns often affect more than one person or one part of life. A young person’s emotional or behavioral difficulties may be influenced by school, family relationships, peers, developmental changes, or past experiences. An adult’s anxiety or depression may also affect relationships, work, parenting, and daily routines.
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Our work begins by understanding your experience and the different factors shaping it rather than assuming there is one simple explanation.
What Therapy With Me Is Like
I believe therapy works best when it is collaborative and built on a strong therapeutic relationship.
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You bring your own understanding of your life, experiences, family, and goals. My role is to meet you where you are, listen carefully, and help you identify the areas that may be limiting your growth or happiness.
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Together, we may focus on:
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Understanding patterns in thoughts, emotions, or behavior
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Exploring how past experiences affect the present
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Identifying personal, family, and community strengths
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Developing practical coping strategies
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Improving communication
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Strengthening emotional regulation
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Working toward goals that are meaningful to you
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Building confidence in your ability to manage future challenges
Success does not look the same for everyone. The goals we establish and the path we take toward them should reflect what matters to you.
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My intention is to support you throughout that process, help you recognize the abilities you already possess, and work alongside you as you develop new ways to approach the challenges in your life.
My Approach to Therapy
My approach is strengths-based, trauma-informed, collaborative, and influenced by my background in social work.
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Rather than looking only at symptoms, social work considers the many systems that affect a person’s life. These may include family, school, relationships, community, culture, health, access to resources, and the environments in which someone lives.
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Depending on your age, concerns, and goals, I may draw from approaches such as:
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Strengths-Based Therapy
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Trauma-Focused Therapy
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy
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Family Systems Therapy
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Attachment-Based Therapy
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Motivational Interviewing
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Play or creative approaches
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Different approaches offer different tools. Cognitive and behavioral therapies may help us explore connections among thoughts, emotions, and actions. Family-systems work may help us understand patterns within relationships. Play or creative approaches may provide children with developmentally appropriate ways to communicate and participate in therapy.
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EMDR may also be incorporated when it is appropriate to a client’s history, preparation, goals, and readiness.
The methods we use will be selected according to the person in front of me rather than a rigid or predetermined formula.
Therapy for Children and Adolescents
Much of my experience has involved supporting children, adolescents, and young people.
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Growing up involves constant change. Young people may be navigating school expectations, relationships with peers, family conflict, identity development, increased independence, difficult emotions, or experiences they do not yet know how to explain.
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Emotional distress may appear through anxiety, withdrawal, anger, changes in behavior, difficulty concentrating, conflict, low self-esteem, or problems at home or school.
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My goal is to meet young clients at their developmental level and help them understand what they are experiencing. Therapy may include conversation, practical skills, creative activities, or other approaches suited to the individual.
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I also want young people to develop tools they can continue using as they encounter larger transitions and responsibilities later in life.
Working With Parents and Caregivers
When a child or adolescent is struggling, the concerns rarely exist separately from the family and other systems surrounding them.
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Parents and caregivers may be trying to understand changes in behavior, support a young person through emotional distress, respond to conflict, or determine how to help without making the situation feel worse.
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Some of the most meaningful progress can happen when parents or caregivers are appropriately involved in the therapeutic process.
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Depending on the client’s age and needs, our work may include helping caregivers:
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Better understand the young person’s emotional or behavioral responses
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Recognize strengths and sources of support within the family
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Develop more effective ways to communicate
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Respond to stress or conflict with greater consistency
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Support coping skills outside the therapy room
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Consider environmental or systemic factors affecting the concern
The objective is not to blame the young person or the family. It is to understand the broader system and identify ways everyone involved can support positive change.
Trauma-Informed Therapy and EMDR
Traumatic experiences can have a lasting effect on how people understand themselves and interact with the world.
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Trauma may affect a person’s sense of safety, emotional responses, relationships, behavior, self-concept, or ability to manage stress. These effects can appear differently depending on someone’s age, environment, support system, and individual experiences.
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My trauma-informed approach focuses on understanding how past experiences may be connected to current patterns while also recognizing the resilience and coping strategies that helped you reach this point.
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I am trained in EMDR and may incorporate it as part of a broader treatment approach when appropriate. The decision to use EMDR will be based on your needs, goals, preparation, and readiness.
Anxiety, Depression, and Life Transitions
Anxiety and depression are among my primary areas of clinical focus.
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These concerns may affect motivation, concentration, relationships, school, work, sleep, self-confidence, and the ability to engage in everyday life. They may also become more noticeable during periods of transition or after difficult experiences.
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Therapy may involve understanding what contributes to these concerns, identifying patterns that maintain them, developing coping strategies, and reconnecting with goals or activities that matter to you.
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I am especially interested in helping adolescents and young adults build skills they can use as they move through developmental changes, increasing independence, education, work, relationships, and other major life transitions.
A Strengths-Based and Systemic Perspective
I believe healing involves more than identifying what is wrong.
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It also involves recognizing what has helped you survive, adapt, connect, and continue moving forward.
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Strengths may include personal qualities, relationships, family support, community, culture, interests, coping skills, past successes, or the willingness to ask for help. Some strengths may be easy for you to recognize, while others may have been overlooked during periods of stress.
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My social-work background also encourages me to consider the environments and systems affecting your experience. Challenges do not develop in isolation, and therapy should make room for the realities surrounding your life.
Together, we can build on your existing strengths while also developing new tools for the areas where you feel stuck.
Credentials and Professional Background
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Licensed Social Worker
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Illinois social-work license 150.117722
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EMDR trained
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Master of Social Work
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Syracuse University, 2025
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Experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families
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Experience using strengths-based, trauma-focused, and family-systems approaches
Outside the Therapy Room
In my free time, I try to spend as much time in nature as possible, especially with my dog. If there is a body of water nearby, there is a good chance you will find both of us in it.
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Community is also an important part of my life. I value spending time with friends and family and strengthening the relationships that help us feel connected and supported.
Therapy in Forest Park and Online
I provide individual therapy for adults through Calm Mind Counseling Center.
Forest Park Office
7621 Roosevelt Road
Forest Park, IL 60130
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Online Therapy
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Telehealth appointments are available for eligible clients located in Illinois.
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Please contact Calm Mind Counseling Center to ask about current availability and whether in-person or online therapy may be appropriate for your needs.
Begin Therapy With Noah
You may be concerned about your child, navigating anxiety or depression, working through the effects of trauma, or trying to change patterns that are no longer helping you move forward.
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You do not need to have every goal clearly defined before reaching out.
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Therapy can provide a place to better understand what you are experiencing, recognize the strengths and resources already available to you, and develop tools for the challenges ahead.
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To ask about working with me, contact Calm Mind Counseling Center.
