PuttingFamilyFirst

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WG Portrait of Wendy Gilchrist
Online therapist

Wendy Gilchrist

Practical counseling for families and parents

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Credentials
LCPC
Experience
20 years
Licensed in
Illinois
Languages
English, Spanish
Format
Online sessions

About Wendy

Wendy Gilchrist is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 20 years of experience. She trained after an earlier career in nonprofit leadership and brings that same practical focus to therapy. Wendy works with parents and families on everyday problems as well as complex emotional concerns.

She speaks English and Spanish. Wendy draws on experience from hospital psychiatric units and trauma-informed programs. She has helped people facing grief, depression, bipolar symptoms, anxiety, and stress.

Background and approach

Her work also covers parenting challenges and broader family problems. She listens first, then helps clients set simple, realistic goals. The approach is straightforward.

She uses Client-Centered methods to follow what matters most to the person in front of her. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors that change outcomes. Mindfulness techniques are offered to reduce reactivity and build focus.

Wendy has substantial experience with abandonment issues, body image concerns, chronic illness and pain, and codependency patterns. She also supports people coping with career shifts, compassion fatigue, and disruptive mood issues in children and teens. Her background includes work with survivors of domestic violence and community programs for vulnerable populations.

Therapy sessions are practical and paced to each family's needs. She helps parents and caregivers talk through real-life routines, communication problems, and behavior strategies. Wendy aims to make therapy useful on the day-to-day level while addressing deeper patterns over time.

Therapeutic approaches that work online for families

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on following the client's lead. The therapist offers empathy and reflection so parents and children can name what matters most and set goals they feel ready for. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the thoughts and actions that keep problems going. It breaks issues into small steps and tests new ways of thinking and behaving to reduce anxiety or mood symptoms.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. Wendy will collaborate with each person or family to choose tools that fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That might mean trying brief CBT exercises, adding mindfulness practices, or focusing on communication skills in parenting sessions.

Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy family life. Video calls let therapists observe interactions and coach parents in real time. Phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging provide alternatives for shorter check-ins, follow-up questions, or times when video is not practical. These options give flexibility while keeping the focus on useful steps families can take between sessions.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Wendy commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar symptoms, parenting and family problems, grief, anger, self-esteem, career issues, ADHD, and coping with life changes.
What is her general therapeutic style?
Sessions emphasize listening and collaboration. She mixes Client-Centered care with CBT and mindfulness tools to create practical steps clients can try between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 20 years of experience, including work in hospital psychiatric units and trauma-informed programs, and practice with individuals, families, and groups.
What credentials and location are listed?
Wendy holds the LCPC credential and is listed as IL LCPC 180.011759 in Illinois.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she is open to working with international clients.
What session formats are offered online?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to meet different scheduling needs.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
20 years
Licensed
Illinois
Languages
English, Spanish

Next step

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