Olena Burger
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and over 12 years of clinical experience. I specialize in working with adolescents and adults navigating mental health challenges related to traumatic life experiences and circumstances beyond their control.
I specialize in helping adolescents and adults who are struggling with mental health challenges related to traumatic life experiences and circumstances beyond their control.
My approach is compassionate, client-centered, and collaborative. I integrate holistic and evidence-based practices to support healing, build resilience, and help clients reconnect with their sense of purpose and inner strength. I strive to create a safe, supportive space where meaningful change and self-discovery can unfold.
First session
In our first session, we’ll take time to get to know each other and explore what brought you to therapy. You’ll have space to share your goals, ask questions, and move at a pace that feels right for you. My focus is on creating a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment where you can begin to feel safe, understood, and supported as we start building a path toward your growth and healing.
Strengths
I take a personalized and holistic approach to therapy, drawing from different therapeutic methods based on each person’s individual needs. I believe therapy works best as a genuine partnership built on trust, openness, and compassion. My goal is to help clients better understand themselves and their mental health while recognizing the important connection between emotional and physical well-being.
Ideal clients
I work with adolescents and adults who may be experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic stress, or major life changes. Many of my clients are used to carrying a lot for others and find it difficult to slow down, prioritize themselves, or manage the emotional impact of ongoing stress. I especially enjoy working with individuals who want to better understand themselves and the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and physical responses. Together, we work on processing difficult experiences, building emotional resilience, developing healthier coping strategies, and creating meaningful changes that support greater balance and well-being.
Treatment methods
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) uses eye movements to help the brain process trauma stored in the neural network. Trauma can manifest as anxiety, stress, and negative self-talk, affecting quality of life. EMDR helps access and process unprocessed trauma, opening new channels for healing.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Awareness is crucial in processing daily ideas, emotions, and encounters. Have you ever questioned your awareness of pain or confronted your shortcomings and fears to see if they truly exist? MBSR helps you explore and understand yourself through mindful awareness, focusing on living in the present and fully experiencing each joy and pain. Through MBSR, you will appreciate being alive and gain a deeper understanding of your sense of self.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
As the most commonly used therapy today, CBT helps to change your thought processing. This therapy uses a specific formula to challenge your thoughts and create different outcomes in your behaviors and feelings.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT helps to distinguish a sense of self that is continuous, safe, and consistent, and from which the client can observe and accept the flow of internal experiences. ACT helps the client flexibly take perspective toward himself, others, and his own experiences to facilitate the ACT flexibility processes, as well as compassion and empathy. The client learns how to approach life in a fluid and flexible way while setting up the goals toward fulfilling and meaningful lives he/she can create for himself/herself.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions1280 Iroquois Ave, Naperville, IL 60563, 102D