William Swieringa , LCSW

William Swieringa is a licensed clinical social worker with 39 years of experience. He practices in Illinois and helps people manage stress, anxiety, addiction concerns, and changes in work or family life. William uses clear, practical steps in sessions and listens for what matters most to each person.

He focuses on everyday problems like sleep difficulty, low self-esteem, anger, and grief. He also supports people with ADHD, mood concerns such as depression or bipolar, and those coping with illness or caregiver strain. He has long experience helping people think through relationship and intimacy-related issues and career decisions.

William draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with mindfulness and motivational interviewing. In sessions he helps clients notice unhelpful patterns, try small experiments, and build new habits that fit their goals. Conversations are direct but respectful and paced to each person.

People who reach out can expect discussion about practical steps between sessions, like short exercises to try during the week. He can also address complex histories such as trauma, attachment concerns, adoption and foster care issues, and the emotional effects of major life transitions.

William offers services in English and accepts international clients. His background includes long-term work with a wide variety of concerns across the lifespan. He aims to create a steady, problem-focused space where people can work toward clearer choices and better daily functioning.

How therapeutic approaches work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people clarify their values and take small steps toward them. It supports managing anxiety, stress, and life transitions by teaching practical skills to notice difficult thoughts and act in line with what matters. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, mood concerns, sleep or eating problems, and building clearer routines that improve daily functioning.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. William will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and style. That may mean combining elements of ACT, CBT, mindfulness, or motivational interviewing and adjusting the plan as progress is made.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is good for face-to-face conversation and exercises that benefit from seeing expressions. Phone sessions can fit a work break or require less bandwidth. Live chat and messaging are useful for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or when someone wants to do shorter, more frequent exchanges. These options make therapy more flexible for people with busy schedules, caregiving duties, or travel constraints.