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TP Portrait of Tamela Polanin

Tamela Polanin

Compassionate trauma-informed therapist

LCPC Illinois

Experience
20 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages
English
Continue with Tamela

About Tamela

Tamela Polanin is an experienced Illinois-based therapist who focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, and life transitions. With 20 years in the mental health field and an LCPC credential, she draws on a range of evidence-informed methods to tailor support to each person’s needs.

Background and approach

Tamela emphasizes a collaborative, client-centered stance that honors a person’s autonomy while offering guidance through challenging patterns and painful experiences. Her work often addresses depression, grief, addictions, intimacy-related concerns, parenting challenges, and complex issues such as attachment wounds, abandonment, and body image.

Tamela also incorporates trauma-focused interventions including EMDR alongside cognitive and skills-oriented approaches to help clients process difficult memories and build practical coping strategies. She accepts international clients and offers sessions using multiple remote formats to increase accessibility.

Outside of clinical work Tamela’s life includes family and rural interests that shape her calm, grounded style. Prospective clients can expect a therapist who values empowerment, respectful collaboration, and flexible care adapted to individual goals and life circumstances.

Approaches for Online Trauma and Skills Work

Tamela commonly uses cognitive behavioral techniques and EMDR when working with trauma and distress. Cognitive behavioral strategies focus on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors while building coping skills to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. EMDR is a trauma-focused method that helps clients process distressing memories and the emotions tied to them, making it useful for people coping with past traumatic events.

She also uses a client-centered stance that prioritizes the client’s goals and lived experience, encouraging collaboration to select the most helpful interventions. Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist will work with each person to determine what fits their needs, preferences, and treatment goals over time.

Online therapy with Tamela is available through multiple formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules or to connect from different locations. These options provide flexibility in how and when to engage in therapy while allowing a licensed professional to guide trauma processing and skills-building work in ways that match a client’s practical needs.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Tamela address?
She works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting and anger, bipolar challenges, ADHD, and career and life-change coping.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and client-centered, blending practical skills from cognitive behavioral therapy with trauma-focused techniques and emotion-oriented interventions to match individual needs.
What is her background and clinical experience?
She brings 20 years of mental health experience and a focus on trauma treatment, drawing on a variety of approaches such as EMDR and DBT-informed strategies.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds an LCPC with licence number IL LCPC 180.012372 and practices from Illinois.
Does she work with speakers of languages other than English or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
In which session formats can clients meet with her?
Clients can connect through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on preference and availability.
How does pricing and payment work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseDepression

Also works with

AddictionsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

20+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English