Therapy for Life’s Challenges—& What Comes Next
Personalized therapy for adults navigating trauma, anxiety, stress, grief, and life's transitions.
Online throughout Illinois, Michigan & New York · In person in Chicago's Loop
Compassion, Hope, Resilience
Life can feel overwhelming, especially when you've been carrying more than others may realize. Whether you're navigating difficult experiences, relationship concerns, a major life transition, or simply feeling stuck, you don't have to figure it all out alone.
Together, we'll make space to understand what you're experiencing, recognize patterns, build on your strengths, and explore new ways forward. My goal is to help you feel more connected to yourself and better equipped to navigate life's challenges.
You can start exactly where you are.
Finding the right support shouldn't feel complicated.
Serene Insights offers flexible daytime and evening telehealth appointments throughout Illinois, Michigan, and New York, with limited in-person availability in Chicago’s Loop.
In-network insurance includes Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO/Blue Choice, Cigna/Evernorth, and TRICARE West. Out-of-network benefits and limited sliding-scale options may also be available.
You deserve support that works for your life.
Not sure where to begin?
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation.
How I Can Help
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Trauma
Past experiences don’t always stay in the past.
Trauma can shape how you feel, relate to others, and move through the world long after difficult experiences have passed. Therapy can help you understand these patterns while building a greater sense of safety, connection, and control.
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![A diverse group of women sitting together, smiling and connecting with one another.]()
Anxiety
When your mind rarely seems to turn off, everyday life can become exhausting.
Therapy can help you better understand what’s driving the worry while developing practical ways to manage overthinking, fear, uncertainty, and the pressure to always have things figured out.
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Stress
Sometimes you’ve been carrying too much for too long.
When overwhelm starts to feel normal, therapy can help you recognize what’s draining you, strengthen boundaries, reconnect with your needs, and find healthier ways to navigate life’s demands.
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Grief & Loss
Some losses change more than we expect.
Grief can follow the death of someone you love, but it can also emerge through relationships, health changes, shifting identities, missed possibilities, and major life transitions. Therapy offers space to make sense of what has changed without pressure to simply “move on.”
Everyone comes to therapy for different reasons. While I specialize in trauma, anxiety, stress, and grief, our work can extend beyond these concerns. Together, we can also explore relationships, life transitions, depression, self-esteem, boundaries, emotional regulation, or patterns from the past that may still be affecting you today.
Meet Serena
I've always been curious about people—what shapes us, why we respond the way we do, and how our experiences influence our lives. That curiosity is a big part of what I bring into the therapy room, along with warmth, compassion, and the occasional moment of humor. I enjoy creating a space where you can feel comfortable being yourself while exploring what's happening beneath the surface.
My approach is thoughtful, collaborative, and sometimes gently challenging. I'll listen closely, ask meaningful questions, and offer practical strategies to help you navigate life's challenges. Together, we'll explore new perspectives, recognize patterns, and work toward changes that feel meaningful to you.
Serena Houston, LCPC, NCC
Founder & Psychotherapist
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all. You may be functioning well in some areas while struggling in others, noticing patterns you’d like to change, navigating a transition, or simply wanting space to better understand yourself. Therapy can be helpful wherever you are in that process.
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I specialize in working with adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, grief, and difficult life transitions. Our work may also explore depression, relationships, boundaries, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and patterns from the past that continue to affect your life. Therapy is individualized around the concerns and goals that matter most to you.
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My approach is warm, collaborative, and individualized. We’ll make space to understand your experiences and the patterns that may be affecting you while also developing practical strategies you can use in everyday life. Depending on what you need, our work may include deeper emotional exploration, coping skills, mindfulness, strengthening boundaries, or improving relationships.
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Yes. I offer secure telehealth appointments throughout Illinois, Michigan, and New York, along with limited in-person appointments in Chicago’s Loop.
Daytime and evening appointments are available depending on current availability.
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Yes. I am currently in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO/Blue Choice, Cigna/Evernorth, and TRICARE West.
Out-of-network benefits may also be available depending on your plan, and a limited number of sliding-scale appointments are available for those who qualify.
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Finding the right therapist is an important part of the process. I offer a complimentary 15-minute consultation so you can share a little about what brings you to therapy, ask questions, and get a sense of whether we might be a good fit.
If you’re ready to begin, you can also schedule your first appointment directly.