(she/her)
Welcome! I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois with over 10 years of clinical experience and more than 35 years of experience in life coaching. I earned my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and have dedicated my career to helping individuals navigate life's challenges with compassion, understanding, and practical support. I work with adults ages 25 to 75+ who may be facing chronic illnesses, stress, life transitions, relationship concerns, or other personal challenges. Life can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you're carrying responsibilities, coping with health concerns, or trying to manage unexpected changes. You don't have to face those struggles alone.
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, then dive into the specific challenges you're facing. This will help me create a tailored plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions. My approach is warm, supportive, and collaborative. I provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can explore difficult situations, gain new perspectives, and develop effective coping skills. Together, we will identify your strengths, build resilience, and create strategies that help you move through challenging times with greater confidence and hope. Whether you're seeking support during a difficult season or looking to create lasting positive change, I am committed to helping you move forward on your journey toward healing, balance, and personal growth.
Having worked with young adults and older adults for the past 35+ years, I've developed a tried-and-true playbook for helping you (a) identify the root cause of your challenges and (b) create a tailored plan that leads to measurable progress.
I work with adults who are 25 and up years of age who are experiencing challenges that are keeping them from moving forward. My clients are eager to improve, but don't yet have the tools needed to make this goal a reality. They often feel stuck, overwhelmed and anxious about their life moving forward.
Top specialties
Coping Skills
Grief
Life Transitions
Other specialties
ADHD
Anxiety
Depression
I identify as
Person of Color (POC)
Woman
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Arizona
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I utilize this therapeutic approach to encourage clients to engage in the present moment fully, rather than feeling trapped in past regrets or future worries.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
I utilize this type of therapeutic approach to help clients confront their fears in a monitored and gradual manner.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
I utilize this type of therapeutic approach to help the client with focusing on a solution to achieve their goal and strengthen problematic areas.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I utilize this type of therapeutic approach to help the client with their thoughts, feelings and behaviors to identify patterns that hinder the client.
8 ratings with written reviews
May 14, 2026
I had to pickup therapy again. My insurance called to setup the appointment with Charlene. The vibe I received from her is that she’s a professional that is direct and really wants to help change my behaviors by giving homework assignments that start with me putting myself first. Also I can see that her plan for treatment will help me progress to feeling like myself again.
September 23, 2025
Warm, understanding, conversational environment. Being able to subtly direct & focus the client
August 28, 2025
I truly appreciate how Charlene focuses on the problem and creates solutions and exercises to ensure success of progress.