Thomas Kalapurakal, MA, NCC, LPC

About

Licensed Professional Counselor in Chicago, IL. Works with Anxiety, Depression and Behavioral Issues. Sees clients in person and online. Accepting new clients.

Areas of expertise

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Anger Management
• Coping Skills
• Family Conflict
• Grief
• Life Transitions
• Peer Relationships
• Racial Identity
• Relationship Issues
• School Issues
• Self Esteem
• Stress Management
• Trauma and PTSD

Types of therapy

• Attachment-basedLooks at early bonds with caregivers and how they shape relationships and emotions now, and works toward a greater sense of safety and connection.
• Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)A structured, practical therapy that looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions affect each other, and teaches skills for changing unhelpful thinking and habits.
• Compassion FocusedHelps people who are hard on themselves to build warmth and compassion toward themselves, as a counterweight to shame and self-criticism.
• Emotionally FocusedTreats emotions as a guide to change. Often used with couples, to understand patterns of conflict and rebuild a secure bond.
• ExistentialExplores life's big questions, such as meaning, freedom, choice, loneliness and death, and how they connect to a person's struggles.
• GestaltFocuses on the here and now, and on noticing what a person is feeling and doing in the moment, often through experiments such as role-play.
• HumanisticA family of approaches, including person-centered and Gestalt therapy, that emphasize growth, self-awareness and a person's capacity to choose.
• InterpersonalA structured, time-limited therapy focused on relationships and life events, such as conflict, loss or big role changes, and how they affect mood.
• Issues Specific to Athletic Performance
• JungianBased on Carl Jung's ideas. Explores dreams, symbols and the unconscious to help a person become more whole.
• Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)Combines mindfulness practice, paying attention to the present moment without judgment, with ideas from cognitive therapy.
• Motivational InterviewingA collaborative style of conversation that helps people explore mixed feelings about a change and find their own reasons to make it.
• MulticulturalRecognizes how culture, race, ethnicity and other identities shape experience, and makes them part of the work.
• NarrativeHelps people separate themselves from their problems and retell the stories they hold about their lives in ways that feel truer and more helpful.
• Person-CenteredA warm, non-directive approach: the therapist listens with empathy and without judgment, and trusts the person to find their own direction.
• Positive PsychologyFocuses on well-being, strengths, gratitude and what makes life fulfilling, alongside working through difficulties.
• PsychodynamicExplores how past experiences, relationships and feelings outside awareness shape how a person thinks and acts today.
• RelationalSees relationships as central to well-being. The relationship with the therapist is used to understand and change patterns in other relationships.
• Strength-BasedFocuses on the strengths, skills and resources a person already has, and builds on them to meet challenges.
• Trauma FocusedTherapy for people affected by trauma. Puts safety and pacing first, and helps process painful memories so they have less hold on daily life.

More details

Sessions

Both in-person and online

Accepting new clients

Yes

Specialties

Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Issues, ADHD, Adjustment Disorders, Alcohol Use, Anger Management, Antisocial Personality, Autism, Codependency, Coping Skills, Domestic Abuse, Emerging Adulthood Issues, Emotional Disturbance, Family Conflict, Grief, Impulse Control Disorders, Infidelity, Life Transitions, Men's Issues, Mood Disorders, Peer Relationships, Psychosis, Racial Identity, Relationship Issues, School Issues, Self Esteem, Sexual Abuse, Stress, Substance Use, Suicidal Ideation, Trauma and PTSD, Weight Loss

Fees

Individual sessions $150; sliding scale available

Payment methods

American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

Ages

Preteen, Teen, Adults, Elders (65+)

Works with

Individuals, Couples

Languages

English

Gender

Male

Education

Northwestern University

Education & qualifications