Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Kirsten Emery

MS, LMFT, CADC
Therapy for Individuals, Couples and Families ages 18+

A family/systems therapist by training, I am passionate about helping clients uncover ways in which their past experiences might be holding them back from embracing the life they want for themselves. I love assisting clients with making the connection between their past and present. It is especially meaningful to watch my clients take that connection and create positive change from it.

I have an empathetic and direct style. As a result, I’ll effectively help you identify patterns in your life that are no longer serving you and collaborate with you to create meaningful change. This means, in addition to talking about the past, I aim to provide my clients with the tools and support necessary to develop coping skills to create symptom relief in the present. And because everyone is different, I help my clients create their own personal, individualized path to healing (no cookie-cutter treatment plans here!)

I specialize in working with individuals struggling with substance abuse, eating disorders and body image issues, depressive disorders, and anxiety. I also enjoy working with people who have been diagnosed with personality disorders and people impacted by loved ones living with personality disorders. As a systemic therapist, I have a special interest in helping individuals navigate the complexities and joys of polyamorous and alternative relationships as well as those exploring the world of BDSM and kink to develop sex positivity and heal past attachment traumas.

About Kirsten:

  • Enjoys perusing a bookstore or reading any number of books from different genres, (though my favorites are fantasy and speculative fiction), writing and spending time outside in nature

  • Loves spending free time with my husband and our parrot, Gizmo - who provides loads of entertainment with his goofiness

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-oriented type of talk therapy that can help manage mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and emotional concerns, such as coping with grief or stress.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of talk therapy, specially adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely.

  • Used commonly as a treatment for OCD, the exposure component of ERP refers to practicing confronting the thoughts, images, objects, and situations that make you anxious and/or provoke your obsessions.

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps you move beyond negative thoughts and feelings in a meaningful way by accepting that your thoughts and emotions are an appropriate response to certain situations and committing to making changes in your life that match your values.

  • Narrative therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on helping individuals understand and change their life stories.

  • MBSR is an evidence-based program designed to reduce stress & enhance wellbeing through mindfulness practices.

  • An attachment-based approach looks at the connection between a person’s early attachment experiences with primary caregivers - and the person’s ability to develop normally and ultimately form healthy emotional and physical relationships as an adult.

  • Motivational interviewing helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior.

Top Specialties:

  • Addiction

  • Consensual Nonmonogamy

  • Eating Disorders

  • Sex-Positive, Kink Allied, BDSM

Areas of Expertise:

  • Alcohol Use

  • Anger Management

  • Antisocial Personality

  • Behavioral Issues

  • Bipolar Disorder

  • Body Positivity

  • Borderline Personality (BPD)

  • Chronic Relapse

  • Codependency

  • Depression

  • Drug Abuse

  • Dual Diagnosis

  • Eating Disorders & Body Shame

  • Emotional Disturbance

  • Family Conflict

  • Gambling

  • Impulse Control Disorders

  • LGBTQ+ Issues & Identity

  • Life Transitions

  • Men's Issues

  • Mood Disorders

  • Narcissistic Personality (NPD)

  • Obesity

  • Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD)

  • Open Relationships Non-Monogamy

  • Peer Relationships

  • Personality Disorders

  • Relationship Issues

  • Self Esteem

  • Self-Harming

  • Sexual Addiction

  • Stress

  • Substance Use

  • Suicidal Ideation

  • Teen Violence

  • Video Game Addiction

  • Women's Issues

I’m in network with:

Licensed provider in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Aetna

Anthem

BCBS PPO

Cigna / Evernorth

United Healthcare

Call (630) 940-6828 or email scheduling@paderatherapy.com to set up an appointment or schedule a 15-minute free phone consultation.

“I am passionate about helping clients uncover ways in which their past experiences might be holding them back from embracing the life they want for themselves.”

— Kirsten Emery

Questions about insurance?

Give us a call or email scheduling@paderatherapy.com. We can often work with insurance companies if we are out-of-network. If we are an out-of-network provider or you do not have insurance, our rate is currently $135.00 for a 53 minute session. However, we also offer reduced rates in special circumstances. Finances should never be a deterrent for seeking help! We work with families to come up with a number that works for you.