Jill Scott-Trainer (she/her)

My approach to therapy is primarily systemic. Systems theory seeks to address people not at an individual level, as is often the focus of other forms of therapy, but as people in relationship, dealing with the interactions of groups, their patterns and dynamics. Generally some disruption within your personal system, such as an illness, loss or death, brings you to therapy. Examining the relationships that are in your everyday life—friends, family, co-workers and communities—help determine what you would like to work on to give you better coping strategies. I also use psychodynamic methods to help determine how you learned to deal with everyday life. Most of our adult behaviors are rooted in how we grew up and values we were taught as children. By discussing the past, we can understand the present and how to make changes in our thinking and behaviors for the future.

Since much of my focus is grief and loss issues, I have the most experience with clients that are in great distress. I strive to concentrate on the present, focus on the future and explore the past to understand current behaviors and coping. I am married with one child and 2 dogs. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and was raised Catholic although I consider myself angonist. I have clients of many different ethnicities, sexual preferences and faiths (Muslim, Jewish, Aethiest, Angonist many types of Christianity) and believe that it’s impotant to use what works for you. I’m a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community, a loud and proud Democratic, feminist and foster parent for rescued dogs. I am most active in promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention and ensuring behavioral health benefits to all.