On Sunday, November 1, the clocks fall back. Soon you will be leaving work in the dark. The walks along the Northwestern lakefill get colder and shorter. The Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park trades its summer crowds for quiet paths and bare branches. Many of us feel the shift before we can name it.
This time of year has a way of pulling us inward. We cancel plans because it is cold. We stay home because we are tired. Little by little, the people who help us feel like ourselves can start to feel far away. And when life is already heavy, that distance can make everything feel heavier.
Here is something we believe deeply at Find Your Voice Counseling & Consultation: healing does not have to happen alone. Sometimes the most powerful words you can hear are “i’ve been there before”.
That is the heart of group therapy. You sit with a small circle of people who understand something about your life without you having to explain it from the beginning. You get to listen. You get to be heard. You get to realize that the thing you thought was only yours is something other people carry too. That recognition can loosen a knot you have been holding for a long time.
This fall, we have three groups meeting, and each one was created with a specific kind of experience in mind.
Our BIPOC Women's Support Group meets Thursdays at 6pm by telehealth. This is a space for women of color to talk openly about stress, identity, work, family, and the everyday weight of moving through spaces that were not built with you in mind. You do not have to code switch here. You do not have to translate yourself. You can just show up. The group is covered by insurance, or $30 per session.
Our Ambiguous Loss and Grief Support Group is led by Annie Banuet, LSW, and meets Mondays at 6pm by telehealth. This group is open to everyone. Ambiguous loss is the grief that does not come with a clear ending or a funeral. It might be a parent whose memory is fading, a relationship that changed without warning, an estrangement, or a life you expected that did not unfold. These losses are real, even when the world around you does not quite know how to acknowledge them. The holidays can make them ache a little more. This group gives that grief a place to land. It is also covered by insurance, or $30 per session.
Our college women's stress and anxiety group is led by Alyssa Wilson, LCSW, and meets Thursdays at 7pm. College can be exciting and exhausting at the same time. Midterms, finals, friendships, family expectations, and figuring out who you are all crowd into the same few months. If you are a college woman feeling stretched thin, or a parent watching your daughter struggle from a distance, this group offers steady support and real tools for the season ahead.
If you are curious about any of these groups, or about therapy in general, we would love to meet you in person.
On Wednesday, November 11, from 5 to 7pm, we are hosting Find Your Voice in Skokie, an open house at our Skokie office at 5225 Old Orchard Rd, Suite 2. Come see the space, meet some of the people behind the practice, and ask whatever questions you have. There is no pressure and nothing you need to prepare. Bring a friend, a partner, or just yourself. Parking is free.
We know that reaching out can feel like a big step, especially when the days are short and your energy is low. That is okay. You do not have to have the right words. You do not have to know exactly what you need. You only have to take the next small step, whether that is joining a group, booking a session, or stopping by on November 11 to say hello.
The darker months are coming. You do not have to face them by yourself.
About Find Your Voice Counseling & Consultation PLLC
Find Your Voice Counseling & Consultation PLLC has two offices: 820 Davis St, Suite 455 in Evanston, and 5225 Old Orchard Rd, Suite 2 in Skokie, with free parking. We are in-network with BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, Cigna/Evernorth, and United PPO, and reduced fee options are available. We also offer telehealth anywhere in Illinois.
Whenever you are ready, you can book a time at therapyportal.com/p/findyourvoice or call us at (847) 232-6353. We would love to hear from you.
Be Heard. Be Seen. Be You.™
