Ana Sikula , LCSW

Ana Sikula is a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting challenges, and life transitions. She speaks English and Spanish and brings ten years of experience to conversations about mood, identity, and everyday pressures.

Ana aims to make sessions feel straightforward and focused. She listens without judging and works with each person to set clear goals. Common topics include depression, grief, trauma and abuse, sleep troubles, and questions around intimacy and self-esteem.

Her work draws on practical methods like cognitive behavioral techniques and acceptance-based strategies. She also uses attachment-focused and emotionally-focused approaches when relationship patterns are important to the work. Ana adapts methods to the needs of the person in the room rather than following a single script.

She often helps people unpack family of origin issues, blended family dynamics, caregiver strain, and communication breakdowns. Other areas she supports are fertility and end-of-life concerns, immigration-related stress, and workplace or career pressures. Ana can also assist with ADHD-related coping and compassion fatigue.

Sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, or text messaging to fit different schedules. She describes therapy as a collaborative process where practical steps and small changes add up over time. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule based on therapist availability.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then take actions that match their values. This approach can be useful for stress, anxiety, and making life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns shape current connections and communication. It can help when family dynamics, intimacy, or repeated relationship problems are a concern.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences and will suggest methods that fit those needs. Decisions about which techniques to use are made together and can shift as the work progresses.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone, live chat, or text messaging to give practical flexibility. Video calls let people use nonverbal cues and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief updates, ongoing coaching-style support, or when someone prefers writing to speaking. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, and busy schedules.