Lekesha Dean, MA, LPC, NCC

“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” -Booker T. Washington

Therapeutic Approach

Regardless of how society has conditioned us to feel about ourselves or our own life experiences they are important.  Our unique experiences can help us better understand ourselves, connect with others, heal, and be a source of inspiration.  My goal as a therapist is to help you increase your quality of life by journeying with you through self-discovery, understanding new emotions, balancing life, and taking steps to transform even your toughest experiences into opportunities for self-development.  I understand that life is not easy. We are each unique people who are continuously overcoming, learning, and discovering new ways to show up for ourselves and the world around us.  Some days, heck, some years will be harder to get through than others.  Together we will co-create coping strategies to navigate through challenging times and welcome new parts of you with care and excitement.

I work with clients from both narrative and systemic lens.  I believe that we are all experts when it comes to our own lives.  What we need to move forward is not only within us, but around us in our interactions with family, friends, co-workers, health-care organizations, educational institutions, and our communities.  My role as a therapist is to help my clients uncover the underlying truths about their personal stories that help them to foster acceptance and enhances their decision-making skills. I also share tools that empower clients achieve a level of emotional and behavioral health that boosts their quality of life.

Clients will be welcomed into a non-judgmental space where their strengths, insecurities, hurt, pain, intelligence, shame, sadness, excitement, personality quirks, and unique backgrounds are respected and explored together with care.

I want to congratulate you on your courage to take the step to consider working with a therapist! I look forward to being present with you and supporting you as you journey through life’s experiences.

Seeing clients who are experiencing:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Relationship Distress

• Codependency

• Disenfranchised Grief

• Stress

• Feeling Overwhelmed

• Adult Parent-Child Relationship or Family of Origin Distress

• Self-Esteem/Self-Worth

• Self-Concept/Identity Development

• Job Related Stressors/Issues

• Challenges Communicating with Others

• Balancing Multiple Roles

• Lifestyle Changes related to Health, Fitness and Wellbeing

• Chronic Illness

• Verbal/Emotional Abuse  

Therapeutic Modalities

• Motivational Interviewing

• Health and Wellness/Life Coaching

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy(CBT)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

• Gottman Family/Couples Therapy Techniques

• Positive Psychology

• Postmodern Approach

• Rational Emotive BehaviorTherapy (REBT)

• Solutions-Focused Therapy(SFT)

• Creative Therapies(Art/Music/Writing orJournaling)

• Mindfulness and Meditation

Biography

Prior to working at Chicago Institute for Change, I worked in property and casualty insurance, health insurance, higher-education, and in the wellness industry as a Health Coach.  In these roles I learned how to build trusting relationships as I helped people navigate challenging situations.  Let’s just say that even before I became a therapist, my prior roles allowed me to become effective at helping people make decisions about their future related to unplanned health events, accidents, changing roles, or starting something new while dealing with the anxiety, hopelessness, unfairness, and excitement that these situations bring. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds. Most importantly I enjoy working with people like YOU! Especially you!

When I’m not with clients I enjoy focusing physically, mentally, and spiritually on my own self-care by being open to new experiences (food, recreation, music, literature) and binging really good shows!