TRAUMA AND ADDICTION THERAPIST IN CHICAGO, IL

Hi, I’m Olivia.

My name is Olivia Berkeley and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in Chicago, Illinois. I offer emotion-focused, body-based, and relational psychotherapy that attends to the whole of who you are: your mind, body, and spirit. I support people in making meaning of their suffering, healing hurts from past relationships, and regaining their authentic connection to themselves and others.

Many of my clients have been hurt in relationships and are shedding handed down patterns — people pleasing, negativity, perfectionism, addiction, emotional avoidance, secret keeping, challenges with intimacy. Others are rediscovering their meaning and purpose after a lifetime of being in survival mode, taking care of others, and checking boxes. Some are reconstructing their sense of self in the wake of major life transitions and losses.

I specialize in working with individuals who feel overwhelmed by or cut off from their feelings, are stuck in states of anxiety, shame, or guilt, struggle with self-defeating thoughts and behaviors, or have experienced challenging life events or trauma and who find themselves dealing with these stressors in ineffective ways.

Whether you want to understand how your past continues to impact your current relationships, emotional expression, and capacity for aliveness, have been in therapy before and are ready for something different and deeper, or are yearning to reconnect with your deepest, truest self, what I offer to you is my presence. My embodied and wholehearted trust in you and your process. My commitment to stay with you in moments of pain and difficulty. My desire to join you in fanning the flames of your inner curiosity and uncovering knowledge about yourself beyond narratives of shame, pain, and suffering.

HOW I WORK

At the core of my work is a belief in our inherent goodness and a deep trust in our own innate healing potential as humans. Our liberation doesn’t lie in getting rid of the places in us we hate or are ashamed of. Through curious and compassionate inquiry, we can gain access to more internal freedom, understanding, and love. 

I work experientially, which means the focus of our time together will be on identifying emotions, bodily sensations, and reactions in the present moment. 

Together, we will slow down and track your inner experiences in order to foster more self awareness, trust, and peace. This approach supports an expanded sense of confidence and aliveness in navigating your inner and outer life outside of the therapy room.

I enjoy and have experience working with people on a wide range of issues, including complex trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, compulsive behaviors, relationship issues, life transitions, and grief. My clinical interests include shame, disassociation, under and overachieving, complex family systems, parent/child dynamics, and people pleasing.

WHAT I BELIEVE ABOUT THERAPY:

→ This isn’t about fixing yourself.

No one is fundamentally broken, deficient, or bad. I offer a space of presence where you can be more deeply and directly in touch with the truth of who you are instead of treating yourself like a self improvement project.

→ You already have what you need to feel better.

I combine science and theory with the wisdom of the body. Together, we will slow down, listen to your body, and make room for all the parts of yourself. You are the ultimate source of wisdom, curiosity, and compassion and I trust both of our inner guidance to lead us in this process.

→ The best investment you can make is in your own healing.

I view therapy as a deep expression of love and care for ourselves. Being ourselves is truly priceless! Your financial contribution represents a commitment to and valuing of your own growth and development.

→ Healing happens together, not on your own.

We get hurt and heal in relationship. In session, we’ll talk about what happens between the two of us — the moments of connection, disconnection, trust, and doubt. Our relationship is the safe container in which your healing happens.

    • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) | Level 1

    • AEDP Advanced Skills trainings on dissociation and processing core affect

    • Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy Experiential Introduction

    • Certificate in Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies

    • Coherence Therapy Introductory Workshop

    • Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin

    • Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education

    • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Texas and Illinois

    • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy

    • Emotion Focused

    • Somatic

    • Psychodynamic

    • Jungian Depth Psychology

    • Polyvagal Theory

    • Object Relations

    • Psychoanalytic Theory

    • Interpersonal Neurobiology

    • Ego State Work

  • I have worked with adults, teens, and children in a variety of settings for the past ten years, including K-12 schools, a sexual and domestic violence resource center, and a residential drug and alcohol treatment center. Being a therapist combines some of my greatest loves – psychology, the mystery that is being a human, pursuing personal truth, and deeply connecting with others, to name a few. Prior to becoming a therapist, I taught middle school reading.

    For most of my adult life, I have been invested in my own personal growth and development. I am deeply committed to my own inner work, which includes individual and group therapy, spiritual study and inquiry, and meditation.

    I consider myself a life-long student and am actively engaged in ongoing learning related to trauma, spirituality, interpersonal neurobiology, attachment, mindfulness, and somatic (body-based) therapies.