Lisa Whittingham

Compassionate, practical therapy for life transitions

LCPC Illinois

Experience: 15 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Languages: English, Italian

About Lisa

Lisa Whittingham is an Illinois-licensed therapist with 15 years of clinical experience who helps people navigate difficult transitions and emotional challenges. She holds an LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor) and uses a compassionate, structured style to help clients identify patterns, develop coping strategies, and build resilience.

Background and approach

Her practice addresses a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and family dynamics, and issues around intimacy, self-esteem, eating and sleeping difficulties, and anger.

She blends evidence-informed approaches to meet each person where they are, offering practical tools for managing day-to-day distress as well as deeper work around attachment, abandonment, caregiver strain, chronic illness, and life changes. Sessions emphasize clear goals, skill-building, and increased self-understanding so clients can improve communication, set healthier boundaries, and pursue meaningful change.

Lisa welcomes English and Italian speakers and accepts international clients, tailoring care to individual needs while drawing on methods suited to trauma, mood, and stress-related concerns.

Using Evidence-Informed Therapies Online

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps clients identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replace them with more adaptive patterns; it is commonly used for anxiety, depression, stress, and many daily-coping challenges. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) focuses on processing disturbing memories and reducing their emotional charge, which can be especially helpful for trauma-related symptoms. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers practical skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness for people struggling with intense emotions or relationship difficulties.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each client to consider their goals, history, and preferences and may blend elements from these methods as needed to match what feels most helpful. This shared planning helps ensure treatment aligns with the client's priorities and evolves as needs change.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage with these approaches through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, maintain continuity during transitions, and access care across distances while keeping treatment focused on practical skills, processing emotional material, and tracking progress over time.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does this therapist address?

She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and family issues, parenting and intimacy-related problems, sleep and eating difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career challenges, and compassion fatigue.

How would you describe the therapeutic approach and style?

The practice combines evidence-informed approaches such as CBT along with DBT, EMDR, mindfulness, and trauma-focused methods to offer practical skills, emotional regulation techniques, and trauma processing in a supportive, goal-oriented manner.

What is the therapist's background and experience?

She has 15 years of clinical experience providing care for people facing complex life transitions and emotional challenges, with a focus on building resilience and practical coping strategies.

What credentials and location information are available?

She is licensed as an LCPC in Illinois with licence number IL LCPC 180.002937 and practices from that state.

Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?

Sessions are available in English and Italian, and she does accept international clients.

Which session formats are available for meeting with the therapist?

Clients can work with her through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.

How does pricing and payment work for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the steps to begin working with this therapist?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefParenting issues

Also works with

Trauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesDepression Coping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shame ImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacks PhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

15+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English, Italian