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I was so pleased to be recently featured in Voyage Chicago’s Inspiring People series. Below is a copy of the article or you can read it directly from Voyage Chicago’s site instead.

Meet Dr. Sarah Allen of Dr. Sarah Allen Counseling Services in Northbrook

Thanks for sharing your story with us Dr. Allen. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a psychologist with over 20 years’ experience treating anxiety, stress and depression. I believe life doesn’t have to be a struggle and in a nurturing and supportive environment I help people to understand what is making them unhappy. Using cognitive behavioural therapy, I give people tools to make the changes they want for their future rather than focusing on the past.

I am British and trained as a Clinical Psychologist there. My husband, oldest son and I came to Chicago area 20 years ago this year for my husband’s job. We planned to be here for 2-3 years but liked it so much we stayed.

I have a special interest in pregnancy and postpartum anxiety and depression. One of the things I was surprised at was the lack of resources and support for women during and after pregnancy here. My doctoral thesis was on postpartum mood disorders and in England part of my job was helping women at the hospital and community transition to motherhood so I had both clinical and research experience working with this population.

When I arrived in the USA I tried to make connections with other therapists working with new moms but there were hardly any in this area. I went to the Postpartum Support International (PSI) annual meeting in 1997 in order to meet therapists across the country specializing in maternal mental health and came back from the conference nominated as the Illinois State Coordinator, a volunteer position that I ended up doing for 17 years. Illinois women who called the PSI national helpline were forwarded to me and I would offer support. I started off taking all the calls myself but after a couple of years (a busy private practice and two more children) the calls were too many to deal with myself so I recruited other volunteers and went on to found my own non-profit organization, the Postpartum Depression Alliance of IL. Our volunteers offer phone and email support to women and their families. I have also been involved in passing legislation to improve maternal mental health and for the past 14 years have worked with the Governor’s office to get May proclaimed as Maternal Mental Health Awareness month every year. I think it is very important to give back to the community you live in and my volunteering has been a way for me to bring my passion for this issues to the whole state.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of struggles was learning how to practice within the framework of private medical insurance. Psychologists in the UK are paid by the hospital or community resource they work for and patients get treatment for free. It was hard to ask directly for payment and I had no marketing or business training so that was quite a learning process.

Another big struggle is that our families are all still in the UK. We visit quite often but obviously we miss them. It is hard trying to help from a distance when your parents are having health issues and it was very hard going back dealing and forth many times in the couple of years before my parents passed away.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I try to help people who can’t come in to see me by writing a lot of helpful blog posts and have free downloadable booklets on Anxiety, Depression, Pregnancy & Postpartum Mood Disorders, Emotional Eating and How To Not Argue With Your Child on my website.

What were you like growing up?
I was always very talkative and a good problem-solver. Apparently as a very small child I would randomly dial telephone numbers and my mother would find me chatting away to a stranger on the phone. Talking with people and helping them problem-solve their difficulties is a very good fit for me and I knew from my late teens that I wanted to be a therapist.

I enjoy reading for knowledge and strongly believe that we should continue enriching ourselves with ongoing education and training. I find it exciting to keep up with the latest research and innovative practices in psychology. My Facebook and Twitter accounts enable me to share what I learn on a wider basis.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3400 Dundee Road, Suite 245
• Website: www.drsarahallen.com
• Phone: 847 – 791-7722
• Email: drsarahallen@drsarahallen.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drsfcallen/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsarahallen
• PPD Alliance of IL: www.PPDil.org

 

Dr. Sarah Allen has 20+ years experience and is recognized by clients, peers and other professionals for her ability to quickly help people get “unstuck” and move forward in their lives.

In her Northbrook office, in the North Suburbs of Chicago, or via telephone or online counseling she offers the most convenient way for you to access support and help.

If you have questions after reading this article or have any questions about how counseling can be useful to your particular circumstances please contact me at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.

 

A new study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective anxiety treatment for teens, either alone or in combination with the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft).

“The results of this study provide further evidence of the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy and SSRI medication, alone or in combination, for treating clinically significant anxiety in children and adolescents”, said the study’s author, Dr. John Piacentini of the University of California.

Our kids live in an area where there is a high level of achievement, both academic and sports-related, and this brings a lot of stress in to their lives. I have been using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques with teens and adults for the last 20 years for anxiety issues relating to test and performance anxiety, social anxiety as well with people who describe themselves as general worriers. I find it by far the most useful treatment for anxiety.

CBT teaches why anxiety happens and gives you tools for dealing with symptoms which helps you feel more in control of your anxiety. Medication can be beneficial in reducing severe anxiety to a level that someone can take on board how to use these techniques and coping strategies and over time, medication can be reduced or stopped as the person feels less anxiety. All medications have some side effects and it is better to learn to use CBT techniques that empower you to manage and reduce your worries.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in children and adolescents. It is often overlooked but anxiety can significantly impair children’s school, social, and family functioning. Also, if untreated, anxiety can increase the risk of experiencing depression, substance abuse, as well as occupational difficulties in adulthood.

To find out more about coping with anxiety and worrying  download my free booklet Simple Steps To Overcome Anxiety & Worrying  use the sign up form below the book.

When clients first come in to see me, the main concerns that come up again and again are:

1. How can I feel less stressed, angry and overwhelmed?
2. What should I do if I feel panicky?
3. How can I stop worrying about everything on my “to do” list….

So I put together a booklet with some strategies I am always giving to my clients to help them begin to feel less anxiety and to worry less.

I hope that you will find it helpful too.

Add your first name and email address in the box below and you will be sent the steps to download your FREE book.

Please let me know if  you have any questions after reading the booklet. Also, if you would like to read more, I have several blog posts on my blog about anxiety and other issues that can affect the way you feel.

If you have any concerns that your teenager has an anxiety disorders contact me at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.