Stephen Hansen, PsyD, LCP

I have been practicing since 2006. I am a licensed clinical psychologist with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University in Chicago. Most of my work has been done with adults and late teens of all backgrounds, races, creeds, and sexual orientations. I have treated individuals with severe mental disorders, incarcerated individuals, and community individuals with more common complaints, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders. I have a “laid back” personality with a good sense of humor which tends to put clients at ease and promotes an open atmosphere for sharing.

I have experience working with adults in the following situations:

Depression and/or anxiety

Severe mental illness

Bipolar disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder

Reentry to society for incarcerated individuals

Anger management

Interpersonal problems

An example of how I approach a therapeutic situation would be anxiety, particularly a specific anxiety. Say you are anxious about riding elevators. We might begin with a foundation of Mindfulness, which is relaxation/meditation exercises. We would then approach the anxiety of riding on an elevator slowly. Today’s typical approach is through “flooding,” which involves immersing the person in the anxiety-producing situation until the anxiety remits. I find a progressive exposure approach produces more acceptance and you would feel more comfortable pursuing the therapy. So, this would involve you progressively exposing yourself to elevator rides with Mindfulness as a foundation to support the endeavor. We would work together on exactly how to begin the exposure and progress in a fashion you would be comfortable with. Eventually, you would comfortably ride an elevator to whatever floor, with Mindfulness training as the foundation to be turned to if there are set backs.

Generally speaking, I use a Mindfulness foundation for most problems, followed by any of the following treatments that seem appropriate:

Acceptance Commitment Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

However, one of the most interesting aspects of therapy I have learned, above and beyond the treatments and philosophies psychologists offer, is that a client’s first need is to be heard. A client-centered approach offering empathy, compassion, and understanding is necessary for building the rapport necessary for working together to tackle one’s problems. I thoroughly enjoy my profession and helping people and look forward to the opportunity of working with you and hearing about the issues that may be standing in the way of you achieving the goals you most value.