Kelly Peters, LCPC - Therapist in Illinois

Addictions
Family patterns
Acceptance and ACT

About Kelly

Kelly Peters is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 35 years of experience. She works with adults facing depression, anxiety, addiction, grief, relationship problems, family concerns and life changes. Kelly lists family of origin issues among her focus areas and commonly helps people worried about old patterns showing up now.

Clients can expect straightforward conversations about what keeps patterns repeating. Sessions focus on practical skills, clearer communication, and figuring out what the client values now. Kelly uses a mix of cognitive behavioral techniques and acceptance-based ideas to help people notice thoughts and take chosen actions.

Her background includes long experience in individual, couples, family, and group counseling settings. She has worked in career development, employee assistance programs, crisis intervention, and critical incident debriefing. Those roles inform how she approaches stress, grief, and sudden life changes.

Kelly blends approaches rather than relying on a single method. She draws on client-centered listening to understand each person’s experience. She also integrates elements of dialectical behavior therapy and emotionally-focused ideas when relationships and intense emotions are central concerns.

In sessions she will discuss goals and collaborate on a plan to address communication problems, codependency, substance concerns, and parenting or intimacy-related issues. Her work aims to help people recognize patterns from their early family life and choose new ways of relating and coping going forward.

How her therapeutic approaches work in online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and then choose actions that reflect their values. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and for breaking unhelpful patterns that come from family of origin dynamics. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and trying practical new ways of responding that reduce distress. It can be useful for anxiety, stress, and mood concerns. Emotionally-Focused ideas are about naming and working with emotions in relationships to improve communication and closeness when intimacy or relationship issues are present.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kelly will talk with each person about goals and try methods that fit those goals. That collaborative process helps decide whether ACT, CBT, emotionally-focused strategies, or a blend will be most useful for the issue at hand.

Confirm current session options before booking to learn which formats she offers. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into daily life, require less travel time, and can allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. They can also let someone join from a quieter location or avoid camera use when that feels more comfortable. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises, practice skills together, and follow up on progress across sessions.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Addictions Trauma and abuse Grief Self esteem Coping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, Anxiety LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issues Body imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependency Communication problems Control issues Divorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelity Isolation / loneliness Midlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaVisually impairedWomen's issues Workplace issues Young adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyImago Relationship TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

35+ years

Listed in

Illinois

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she address?

She works with depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, relationship and family concerns, and other issues listed in her specialties.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Kelly uses a collaborative, client-centered style that emphasizes practical skills and values-based choices.

How much experience does she have?

She brings 35 years of counseling experience across individual, couples, family, and group settings.

What credential does she hold and where is she based?

She is an IL LCPC, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor practicing in Illinois.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

Does she accept clients from other countries?

She does not accept international clients at this time.

How are sessions scheduled and what do they cost?

Cost varies with location, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Looking for someone else? Find them by surname.