Erica Gilmore , LCPC

Erica Gilmore is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Illinois who helps people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and depression. She speaks directly and listens closely so people feel heard from the first session. Erica encourages clients to use their own strengths as the foundation for change.

She uses clear, practical approaches in sessions. Erica draws on client-centered work to shape each conversation around what matters most to the person in the room. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes that make daily life easier.

Erica blends skills from dialectical behavior therapy when intense emotions or relationship patterns cause repeated problems. She brings existential ideas into conversations about meaning and life transitions when clients want to make big decisions or face uncertainty. The Gottman Method informs her work on communication and conflict when relationship issues come up.

With seven years holding her Illinois LCPC, Erica has seen a range of concerns, from parenting strain and career stress to grief, body image, and ADHD-related struggles. She focuses on practical steps people can use between sessions as well as the work done together during sessions.

Erica aims to make starting therapy straightforward. She asks questions, clarifies goals, and helps create a plan that fits each person’s life. Her style is direct, warm, and focused on building usable tools for coping and growth.

Using approaches that fit your life online

Client-centered therapy puts the client's needs and priorities at the center of each session, helping shape conversations around what matters most and building on existing strengths. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at the thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and teaches practical experiments to try new ways of thinking and acting. Dialectical behavior therapy, DBT, adds concrete emotion regulation and interpersonal skills that help when feelings or relationships feel overwhelming.

Finding the right approach often takes a little exploration. The therapist works together with the client to decide which methods to emphasize based on goals, daily demands, and what feels helpful in session. That collaboration means plans can shift as progress is made or new issues appear.

Online formats offer practical benefits for this process. Video calls let sessions feel close to an in-person visit and work well for skills practice and deeper conversations. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in fits a busy day. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to share quick updates, try short coaching prompts, or check in between sessions. These options give flexibility so therapy fits into work, caregiving, or travel schedules while keeping the focus on progress and usable skills.