Name: Personal Balance Counseling, LLC
Address: 9601 W. 165th Street, Suite 02, Orland Park, IL, 60467, US
Telephone: (708) 949-8688

Individual Therapy in Orland Park

Individual therapy at Personal Balance Counseling in Orland Park, Illinois

Individual therapy is a personal opportunity to improve your quality of life. At Personal Balance Counseling, you work one-on-one with a licensed therapist to explore who you are, understand your unique needs, and develop practical approaches for creating a more balanced and fulfilling life. Sessions are provided in a safe, caring, and confidential environment.

How individual therapy can help

People of different ages and backgrounds seek counseling for many reasons, including anxiety, depression, trauma, anger, grief, burnout, intrusive thoughts, relationship difficulties, emotional dysregulation, and major life transitions. Others begin therapy because they want greater self-knowledge, stronger coping skills, or meaningful personal growth. You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out.

Our approach is straightforward and collaborative. You and your therapist establish a trusted partnership, identify a starting point, clarify your therapeutic goals, and develop strategies for addressing the challenges you are facing. Together, you may explore patterns, process experiences, strengthen boundaries, improve communication, and practice skills that can be used outside the therapy office.

Therapy personalized to you

PBC clinicians use evidence-based approaches based on each client’s needs. These may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR, mindfulness, attachment-based therapy, person-centered therapy, and trauma-informed care.

The goal is not to become a different person. It is to gain a better appreciation and understanding of yourself, respond to challenges more effectively, and build a life that feels more manageable and aligned with what matters to you. Finding personal balance is a continuous process that can evolve as your needs, circumstances, and goals change.

Individual therapy in Orland Park and nearby communities

Our Orland Park counseling office is convenient for clients from Oak Forest, Tinley Park, Lockport, Homer Glen, Mokena, and surrounding southwest Chicago suburbs. Secure telehealth appointments are also available throughout Illinois. Daytime, evening, and limited weekend availability depends on clinician schedules.

Our intake team will help match you with a therapist based on age, concerns, insurance coverage, preferred appointment time, and whether you want in-person or telehealth services.

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Personal Balance Counseling’s mission is to help people find their personal balance!

Couples & Family Therapy in Orland Park

Couples and family therapy in Orland Park, Illinois

Couples and family therapy at Personal Balance Counseling helps people understand difficult relationship patterns, communicate more effectively, and work toward healthier connection. Sessions are available at our Orland Park office and through secure telehealth across Illinois when appropriate.

When couples counseling may help

Couples often seek therapy when conversations repeatedly turn into conflict, emotional distance has grown, trust has been damaged, intimacy has changed, or a major transition is placing stress on the relationship. Counseling provides a structured place to slow those patterns down and understand what each partner is experiencing.

A couples therapist does not choose sides. The work focuses on the relationship: identifying cycles, strengthening communication, clarifying needs, rebuilding trust when possible, and helping both partners decide how they want to move forward.

Family counseling

Family therapy can support families experiencing conflict, behavioral concerns, parenting stress, trauma, separation, blended-family challenges, or changes that affect the entire household. Depending on the goals of treatment, sessions may include the full family or selected family members.

A thoughtful therapist match

Several PBC clinicians work with couples and families. Intake will help identify the best available match based on your concerns, schedule, insurance, and preferred format. If one family member already receives individual therapy at PBC, we will also consider clinical boundaries when arranging relationship or family services.

Begin couples or family therapy in Orland Park

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DBT Therapy & Skills Groups in Orland Park

Dialectical Behavior Therapy and DBT skills groups in Orland Park, Illinois

Personal Balance Counseling provides Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and DBT skills groups in Orland Park, Illinois. DBT is a practical, evidence-based treatment that helps people manage intense emotions, tolerate distress, improve relationships, and make choices that support long-term goals.

What DBT teaches

DBT balances acceptance and change: learning to understand your current experience while also building skills to respond differently. The core skill areas are mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

These skills can be helpful for people experiencing emotional dysregulation, impulsive behaviors, self-defeating patterns, relationship instability, chronic distress, anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, or features of borderline personality disorder. A clinician will determine whether DBT is appropriate for your specific needs.

Individual DBT and skills groups

DBT may include individual therapy, structured skills training, and coaching support depending on the program and clinician. Skills groups are educational and practice-focused; they are not the same as an unstructured process group. PBC offers programming for adults and teens based on current enrollment and availability.

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Teen DBT Skills Group

Wednesdays at 6:00 PM, beginning October 28, 2026. In-person at Personal Balance Counseling in Orland Park.

Build practical skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. The group runs in 8-week cycles, followed by a 2-week break, then begins again. New participants may join every 2 weeks at the beginning of a new module during an active cycle. Intake will confirm your next module start and enrollment.

Virtual College DBT Skills Group

Tuesdays at 10:00 AM Central Time, beginning October 27, 2026 • Virtual • $25 self-pay per session. Practice DBT skills for managing emotions, coping with stress, and navigating relationships while balancing college life. Contact Intake to confirm the first session and enrollment.

Register for a DBT group. Complete the group registration form and our intake team will contact you to confirm fit and next steps.

Is DBT the right fit?

Our intake team will gather basic information and help connect you with the appropriate clinician or group. Because DBT requires active participation and practice outside sessions, readiness, scheduling, clinical needs, and program availability are considered before enrollment.

Start DBT in Orland Park

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Anxiety & Depression Therapy in Orland Park

Anxiety and depression can affect sleep, motivation, concentration, relationships, work, school, and the ability to feel present in everyday life. Personal Balance Counseling provides individualized therapy for children, teens, and adults at our Orland Park office and through secure telehealth across Illinois.

Support for anxiety

Anxiety may show up as constant worry, irritability, panic, avoidance, perfectionism, physical tension, intrusive thoughts, or feeling unable to turn your mind off. Therapy can help you understand the patterns maintaining anxiety, respond differently to distress, and build confidence in situations that currently feel overwhelming.

Support for depression

Depression may involve sadness, numbness, low energy, isolation, hopelessness, loss of interest, or difficulty completing daily tasks. Treatment is tailored to the individual and may focus on rebuilding routines, increasing meaningful activity, addressing painful thought patterns, strengthening relationships, and creating manageable steps toward change.

An individualized approach

PBC therapists use evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, acceptance-based strategies, attachment-focused work, and trauma-informed therapy. Your therapist will work with you to clarify goals and choose methods that fit your age, needs, and circumstances.

Anxiety and depression therapy near you

Our office serves Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Homer Glen, Lockport, Mokena, and nearby southwest suburbs. Intake will help match you with a therapist based on clinical needs, insurance, schedule, and preferred appointment format.

To get started, register online, call PBC Intake at (708) 949-8688, or email newclientinfo@personalbalancecounseling.com.

SCHEDULE IN-PERSON

Personal Balance Counseling’s mission is to help people find their personal balance!

Trauma Therapy & EMDR in Orland Park

Trauma can continue affecting the mind and body long after a difficult experience has ended. Personal Balance Counseling offers trauma-informed therapy and EMDR in Orland Park for teens and adults, with secure telehealth available throughout Illinois when clinically appropriate.

When trauma therapy may help

Trauma-related symptoms can include intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, shame, irritability, difficulty trusting others, or feeling disconnected from yourself. Trauma may result from a single event, repeated experiences, unsafe relationships, loss, or long-term exposure to overwhelming circumstances.

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help the brain process distressing experiences and reduce the intensity of trauma-related reactions. EMDR is not simply talking through every detail of an experience, and treatment is paced according to readiness, stability, and individual needs.

PBC’s EMDR-trained clinicians include Kathy Muloski, LSW, and Linzie Hartmann, LPC. Availability varies, and an intake or clinical assessment helps determine whether EMDR or another trauma-focused approach is the best fit.

Trauma treatment is collaborative

Early work may focus on safety, coping skills, emotional regulation, and understanding current symptoms before trauma processing begins. Depending on your needs, treatment may also incorporate CBT, DBT, mindfulness, attachment-focused therapy, or Internal Family Systems-informed strategies.

Our Orland Park office is convenient to Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Homer Glen, Lockport, Mokena, and surrounding southwest Chicago suburbs.

To get started, register online, call PBC Intake at (708) 949-8688, or email newclientinfo@personalbalancecounseling.com.

SCHEDULE IN-PERSON

Personal Balance Counseling’s mission is to help people find their personal balance!

Child & Teen Therapy in Orland Park

Children and teens do not always have the words to explain what is wrong. Changes in mood, behavior, sleep, school performance, friendships, or family relationships may be signs that additional support could help. Personal Balance Counseling provides child and teen therapy in Orland Park, beginning at age 6 based on clinician availability and fit.

Therapy for children

Child therapy is adapted to developmental level and may include conversation, activities, emotional-identification work, coping-skills practice, and caregiver involvement. PBC currently has clinicians who see children beginning at age 6, while other clinicians have different minimum ages. Intake will match each child with an appropriate provider rather than scheduling solely by the first available opening.

Therapy for teens

Teen therapy may address anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, trauma, peer conflict, school pressure, identity, family stress, self-esteem, or major transitions. Treatment balances privacy with appropriate caregiver involvement, safety responsibilities, and clear expectations about communication.

Teen DBT Skills Group

Wednesdays at 6:00 PM, beginning October 28, 2026. In-person at Personal Balance Counseling in Orland Park.

Register for a DBT group. Complete the group registration form and our intake team will contact you to confirm fit and next steps.

Practical support for the whole family

Depending on the child’s age and treatment goals, caregivers may participate in portions of sessions, receive guidance on supporting skills at home, or attend separate family sessions. PBC clinicians may use CBT, DBT-informed skills, mindfulness, person-centered therapy, trauma-informed care, and other age-appropriate approaches.

Child and teen counseling near Orland Park

PBC serves families from Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Homer Glen, Lockport, Mokena, and nearby communities. In-person care is often recommended for younger children; telehealth suitability depends on age, needs, privacy, and the clinician’s judgment.

To get started, register online, call PBC Intake at (708) 949-8688, or email newclientinfo@personalbalancecounseling.com.

SCHEDULE IN-PERSON

Personal Balance Counseling’s mission is to help people find their personal balance!

nutritional counseling

Nutritional counseling is temporarily unavailable

Personal Balance Counseling is not currently accepting new nutritional counseling clients while we expand our team. We intend to make this service available again after an appropriately qualified provider joins PBC.

Please check this page for future availability or contact PBC Intake at (708) 949-8688 or newclientinfo@personalbalancecounseling.com with questions about current services.

About nutritional counseling

Nutritional counseling can provide individualized support for a person’s relationship with food, nourishment, body image, and health-related goals. Care may include a non-diet, weight-neutral approach and coordination with therapists, physicians, or other members of a client’s treatment team when appropriate.

PBC’s mental health clinicians may continue to address the emotional and behavioral aspects of eating concerns within their professional scope. Medical nutrition therapy and individualized nutrition planning require care from an appropriately qualified nutrition professional.

LaWanda Thomas, MA, LPC, NCC

LaWanda Thomas, MA, LPC, NCC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor at Personal Balance Counseling in Orland Park. She works with children, adolescents, and adults, and also provides couples counseling. Her clinical focus is trauma, and she is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She is continuing her education in a doctoral program specializing in Trauma.

Michelle Conrad, LCPC, DBTC | Founder & Clinical Director

Picture of Michelle Conrad, a LCPC therapist at PBC.

Many of the people who seek therapy with Michelle are highly capable, thoughtful individuals who appear to have things together on the outside but feel overwhelmed, emotionally reactive, or exhausted internally. Michelle works primarily with older teens and adults navigating burnout, relationship stress, trauma, mood disorders, and emotional dysregulation.

Mary Walker, LCPC

Picture of Mary Walker, a LCPC therapist at PBC.

Mary is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who received her M.A. in Counseling from Northwestern University. She has experience in treating anxiety, depression and stress-related symptoms as well as post-traumatic stress, grief and loss, relationship issues, major life transition, addictive behavior, emerging adulthood and developmental concerns. Mary is level 3 Gottman Trained and is invested in working with couples as well.

Karissa Habel, LCPC

Picture of Karissa Habel, a LCPC therapist at PBC.

Karissa Habel is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who obtained her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lewis University. She provides individual counseling to adolescents and young adults through adulthood.

Stephanie Arambula, LCPC, CADC

Picture of Stephanie Arambula. She is a LCPC therapist at PBC.

Stephanie Arambula is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and a Certified Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselor (CADC). She has experience working individuals who are struggling with substance use disorders, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, trauma and self-injury behaviors. Stephanie thrives with teenage and adult clients alike who are interested in gaining control over their life and creating a life worth living.

Linzie Hartmann, LPC

Linzie Hartmann, LPC, is an EMDR therapist at Personal Balance Counseling in Orland Park, IL, specializing in anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues. She provides a compassionate, collaborative environment that integrates various therapeutic approaches, including CBT, DBT, and EMDR, to foster self-acceptance and growth while addressing clients’ unique needs.

Megan Kirkpatrick, LCSW

Megan Kirkpatrick is a compassionate and dedicated Licensed Clinicial Social Worker, therapist, with a Master’s degree in Social Work from Lewis University with several years experience. She specializes in providing individual therapy for adolescents, young adults, and adults who are navigating the complexities of mental health challenges.

Sarah Lesniak, LCSW

Sarah Lesniak, LCSW, is a dynamic and compassionate therapist who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her practice. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of St. Francis and has since dedicated herself to helping individuals navigate their mental health journeys. Sarah specializes in providing individual counseling to children, adolescents, and young adults, addressing challenges such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, and PTSD.

Kathy Muloski, LSW

Kathy Muloski, LSW is a Licensed Social Worker with a master’s degree in social work who provides therapy for teens and adults in Orland Park and the greater Chicago suburbs. She specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions using a holistic and mindfulness-based approach. Kathy is also EMDR-trained (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), offering an evidence-based option for clients looking to process and heal from past trauma.

Kathy creates a calm and supportive therapy environment where clients feel safe exploring both past and present challenges. Whether you are working through trauma, managing stress, or adjusting to life changes, she provides a grounded and compassionate space to process, heal, and grow.

Samantha Newsome, LPC

Samantha Newsome is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She received her Master’s degree from Trinity Christian college in Counseling Psychology. She provides counseling to individuals, couples, adolescents, and adults of all ages and backgrounds.

Sam Pagana, LCPC, DBTC

Sam Pagana is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who obtained her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lewis University. She is continuing her education in a doctoral program specializing in Trauma and is certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Sam provides individual and family counseling to clients ages 10 and up.

Returning to School After Hospitalization for Suicidal Thoughts

November 5, 2026October 28, 2026by Michelle Conrad, LCPC, DBTC

Returning to school after hospitalization for suicidal thoughts requires more than just showing up. The transition period carries higher risk and demands careful planning. Learn what students need during this critical time and how families and educators can provide meaningful support for a smoother adjustment and continued recovery.

Recognizing Anger Warning Signs and Management Techniques

November 3, 2026October 28, 2026by Michelle Conrad, LCPC, DBTC

Anger isn’t the problem—how you express it is. Learn to recognize your body’s physical warning signs before anger escalates. Understanding what triggers your anger and identifying early signals helps you respond in healthy ways rather than reacting in ways you might regret.

When Is Work Anxiety Too Much? Understanding the Line Between Normal Stress and Something More

October 30, 2026October 28, 2026by Michelle Conrad, LCPC, DBTC

Workplace stress is normal, but how do you know when it crosses the line? Learn to recognize the signs that work anxiety has become too much and is affecting your health, relationships, and quality of life. Understanding the difference is the first step toward getting support.

Coping With Adjustment Disorder: A Guide to Managing Life Changes

October 28, 2026October 28, 2026by Michelle Conrad, LCPC, DBTC

Major life changes—whether positive or challenging—can feel overwhelming. When stress from change starts affecting your daily life, you might be experiencing adjustment disorder. This common, treatable condition responds well to support. Learn the signs, understand why it happens, and discover effective coping strategies for managing transitions.

Nutrition and Mental Health: What You Should Know for Mental Wellness

September 29, 2026September 1, 2026by Michelle Conrad, LCPC, DBTC

What you eat affects more than your body—it influences your mood, energy, and emotional wellbeing. Your brain needs specific nutrients to produce neurotransmitters that regulate mood and stress. Learn how nutrition serves as a foundation for mental wellness alongside sleep, movement, and relationships.

Understanding Body Image Issues and Male Anorexia Symptoms

September 24, 2026September 1, 2026by Michelle Conrad, LCPC, DBTC

Anorexia in men often goes unrecognized because eating disorders are frequently seen as affecting only women. Understanding how body image issues manifest differently in males is crucial for early identification and treatment. Learn the warning signs and symptoms that are commonly overlooked in men struggling with disordered eating.