Teresa Cortas

Teresa Cortas is an Illinois licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 25 years of experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, and questions about life purpose. She also supports clients coping with parenting challenges, workplace issues, and concerns related to LGBT identity.

Her style is warm and nonjudgmental. Sessions focus on listening, understanding what matters to the person, and working together to build practical coping steps. Teresa emphasizes simple strategies people can use between sessions to manage strong emotions and day-to-day stress.

Teresa uses Trauma-Focused Therapy when past events still affect daily life, helping people process painful memories at a pace that feels manageable. She also draws on Client-Centered Therapy to keep the conversation focused on each person’s goals and strengths. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques are used to notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns.

Clients report looking for help with guilt, shame, emptiness, and forgiveness; Teresa addresses those topics directly and plainly. She supports people navigating midlife transitions, exploring career direction, or wanting clearer boundaries at work. The work is collaborative and paced to the individual’s needs.

Teresa practices in Illinois and conducts sessions in English. She offers a practical, goal-oriented approach that balances emotional exploration with everyday tools to help people move forward.

How Teresa’s approaches translate to online work

Teresa uses Trauma-Focused Therapy to help people understand and gently process painful memories, focusing on reducing how much past events interfere with current life. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which centers sessions on the person’s goals, values, and strengths to guide each step of the work.

Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. Teresa will discuss options with each person, consider their needs and goals, and adapt techniques over time so the work fits the individual rather than forcing a single method.

The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm current session options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules demand it. Online work still focuses on practical tools, checking progress between meetings, and applying strategies to daily life so therapy can be effective even when meeting remotely.