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LCSW

Heather Breems, LCSW

  • Experience11 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Parenting
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Attachment-Based Therapy
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About Heather

Heather Breems is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Illinois who brings 11 years of professional experience to her clinical work.

Background and approach

She supports people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strains, parenting challenges, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, addiction concerns, ADHD, and a wide range of family and life transitions. Her practice also addresses related areas such as attachment issues, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, codependency, communication difficulties, and fertility or adoption-related concerns.

Her approach centers on respectful, sensitive, and compassionate collaboration. Heather adapts conversations and treatment plans to each person’s needs, drawing from methods including Internal Family Systems, attachment-based work, client-centered techniques, cognitive behavioral tools, and emotionally focused strategies.

She encourages clients to name goals and pace changes in a way that feels manageable. Heather emphasizes practical coping skills alongside deeper exploration of relational and internal patterns to help clients move toward more satisfying daily functioning and relationships.

Integrating evidence-based approaches in online care

Internal Family Systems emphasizes listening to the different parts that make up a person’s inner life, helping people separate from reactive parts and access calmer, more curious self-leadership; it can be useful for trauma responses, anxiety, and patterns that repeat in relationships. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationship experiences influence emotional safety and connection, which is helpful for relationship challenges, parenting stresses, and attachment-related concerns. Client-Centered Therapy centers the client's own experience and pace, offering empathic reflection and collaborative goal-setting to support coping, self-esteem, and life changes.

Finding the best therapeutic approach is a collaborative process. Heather works with clients to identify goals, try techniques, and adjust methods as needed so the work aligns with personal needs and preferences rather than imposing a single framework from the start.

Online options including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging provide flexibility for scheduling and modes of engagement. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy routines, allow for ongoing skill practice between sessions, and accommodate different comfort levels with communication while retaining the core therapeutic relationship and clinical methods described above.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Heather commonly address?
Her practice includes support for stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting issues, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, addictions, ADHD, and many family and life transition concerns.
How would you describe Heather's therapeutic style?
She uses a respectful, sensitive, and compassionate manner while tailoring dialogue and treatment plans to each person’s needs, balancing practical skills with deeper relational work.
What level of experience does the therapist have?
Heather has 11 years of professional experience working with a range of concerns across clinical and community settings.
What credentials and location are listed for this therapist?
She is an LCSW licensed in Illinois with licence number IL LCSW 149.014749 and practices from Illinois.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
Which session formats are available for working together?
Available formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
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 therapy with this clinician?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesParenting issuesDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImmigration issuesImpulsivityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

11+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English