Courtney Holbrook , LCSW

Courtney Holbrook is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 10 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and addiction. She supports people facing trauma, low self-esteem, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, and career stress. Courtney also works with people navigating issues related to LGBT identity, bipolar disorder, and major life changes. She emphasizes a client-centered approach that treats each person as the expert on their life. Sessions focus on clear goals and practical steps rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. Courtney listens carefully, helps clarify what matters most, and works with clients to create realistic plans they can try between sessions. Her practice draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and build new habits. She also uses dialectical behavior strategies to teach emotion regulation and mindfulness exercises to reduce distress in the moment. Emotion-focused methods are used to address relationship patterns and deepen emotional awareness. Courtney brings a holistic perspective to concerns like caregiving stress, chronic illness, body image, abandonment, and blended family challenges. She pays attention to how life circumstances and past experiences shape current behavior and coping. Her goal is to help people build skills that fit their daily lives. Sessions are offered in English and are provided through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Courtney practices in Illinois as an Illinois LCSW and has a decade of clinical work supporting adults through practical, steady care.

Therapeutic approaches and online options

Client-centered therapy focuses on the person’s own goals and perspective, with the therapist providing empathic listening and support while clients lead the direction of work. It helps people who want a space to make sense of their experience and choose their next steps.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses practical exercises to change unhelpful thinking and build new behavioral habits, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and stress management.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches concrete skills for regulating intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It is often used when emotions feel overwhelming or relationships are highly conflictual.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals, and may blend techniques over time. This collaborative process helps tailor sessions so they match what people actually want to change.

Online options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule. Video lets people use face-to-face conversation, phone can work when bandwidth is limited or when an on-camera check-in feels hard, and messaging supports brief check-ins or ongoing reflection between longer sessions. These formats provide flexibility so people can choose how to engage while working on stress, anxiety, relationships, and other concerns.