Hi there,

My name is Charu Chandra, I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Restorative Practices Leadership Coach with extensive experience working with adults, teens, and children in a variety of settings in the Chicago area.

My goal is to help people achieve their goals by creating a safe environment where they can find much-needed support, respect, care, motivation, warmth, and direction. While we can’t change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and find opportunities by resolving challenges in your life today.

My focus is on working in a collaborative relationship with my clients to discover the underlying reasons for particular symptoms or non-productive patterns that have become obstacles to achieving growth and fulfillment in life. I strive to help people experience the resolution of barriers to a healthy life. With an integrative and strengths-based approach to treatment, I specialize in cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused, and family systems therapy.

Speaking Engagements


Specialties:
  • Anxiety and Fear- helping individuals to have better control over their lives.
  • Stress and Trauma (Physical, Verbal, Emotional)- providing support for coping and healing.
  • Anger- exploring the process of managing this feeling for positive outcomes.
  • Depression- helping individuals to find hope and building support.
  • Sexual Abuse/ Assault- supporting to recover and finding ways to heal and nurture the inner self.
  • Aggression and Behavioral Disorders – helping children and teens understand the motivation for their behaviors and teaching them more positive coping skills and appropriate emotional expression; helping parents set limits and structure to encourage positive behaviors.
  • Mood Disorders – helping clients understand and manage their emotions in order to be happy and productive.
  • Multicultural Sensitivity – Experience working with clients from diverse backgrounds.
  • Presenter for Restorative Practices
  • Presenter for Trauma Initiative Training for Schools and Communities.
Training and Experience:
  • Anger Coping
  • Think First
  • Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Trauma
  • Sexual Assault Counselor
  • Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention
  • School-Based Counseling
  • Child Assault Prevention and Crisis Intervention with Children
  • Child Counselor
  • “Date Rape” Drugs: Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
  • Family Support Network for Adolescent Cannabis Users
  • SS GRIN- EC-2 and 3-5
  • Restorative Conversations
  • Restorative Circles (Talking Circles, Peace Circles, Re-entry Circles)
  • Train the Trainer for Trauma Initiative
  • Trauma Informed Care
Experience:
  • Individual Counseling
  • Group Counseling
  • Family Counseling
  • Restorative Practice (RP) Coaching
  • Professional Development Training for school staff 
  • Clinical supervision for clinicians and supervision for RP Coaches
Issues Addressed:
  • Anger
  • Trauma
  • Aggressiveness
  • Impulsiveness
  • Anxiety or Fears
  • Loss or Grief
  • Self Esteem
  • Attention Deficit
  • Depression
  • Family Conflict
  • Obsessive-Compulsive
  • Relationship Issues
  • Co-dependence
  • Self-Harming Behaviors
  • Academic Underachievement
Treatment Approach
  • Integrative
  • Client-Centered
Therapeutic Orientation
  • Cognitive Behavioral  Therapy (CBT)
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
  • Family Systems Therapy
Religious Orientation: Any
Categories:
  • Bisexual Clients
  • Gay Clients
  • Heterosexual Clients
  • Lesbian Clients
  • Transsexual Clients
  • Queer and/or, Questioning