Meghan Reilly

COUNSELING FOR ADULTS

We often feel pulled in so many different directions with all our roles and responsibilities. We can get stuck in negative thoughts like, ‘this is all there is to life,’ ‘I will never be able to do it all,’ or even ‘why should I try when I know I can’t do it?’

The adversity and struggle we often face in our lives leads to negative thoughts and feelings about ourselves, others, and the world around us. Managing our many roles, responsibilities, and stress often leads to feelings of overwhelm, a loss of what’s really important, and a disconnection from ourselves and our values. 

Therapy can give you the time and space to help you when you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, doubting your feelings and decisions, or feeling misunderstood, lacking perspective or disconnected to yourself. You can have someone who who is objective, listens and supports you without requiring anything from you. 

We often feel the pressure to be there for others, find success at work and in our careers, care for children or loved ones, support our partners and family, and manage our own stress and emotions. At times, it can all feel daunting and like it’s too much. Sometimes we lose an ability to also find personal fulfillment and joy in life. 

If you find you are feeling stuck and struggling to take time for yourself so you can prioritize your needs, we can develop strategies help you have a better balance so you can have the life you want. 

COUNSELING WITH TEENS & PARENTS

The truth is, you’ve been through a ton of unwanted experiences these last few years, and you’ve had to work through a lot of missed opportunities and losses. Being a teenager can be exhausting, difficult, and painful. The unexpected changes of 2020 to present with the pandemic has made it a great deal harder to get through and to figure out who you are. 

Dealing with all the pressure to get good grades, participate in after school activities, perform in sports, and have friends is not for the faint-hearted. All while sometimes wanting everyone to leave you alone and with parents or other people in your life who tell you “you should…, you must…, you ought to…” it can leave you feeling frustrated, annoyed, and over it. 

It can often feel like you are literally the only person experiencing the stress of it all and that no one understands. 

I’m not so old that I don’t remember feeling all of those things as a teen. All of those feelings left me confused, wildly misunderstood, alone, and sometimes like no one cared or wanted to listen. Trying to manage the expectations of parents, culture, school, friends, and sports or extracurriculars is pretty hard-hitting. Only wanting to just be who you want to be at the end of the day, longing for someone to understand you. 

Navigating one of the most frustrating, misunderstanding, and confusing times in our lives should not be done in isolation. If you’ve ever just wanted someone to understand and hear you out – and you’ve thought about taking the step to reach out and talk to someone, I’m happy to give you the independence and space to do so. I can help you figure out how to make things better. You can begin to understand more about what you want, what you need, how to ask for it, so you can and make it happen. 

SUPPORTING PARENTS

Do you ever feel like you missed the playbook for parenting a teen in 2023? Wouldn’t it be great if there was a manual that had step by step directions on how to best support and parent your growing and changing teen? 

If you feel like you’re being thrown curveballs, are missing the mark, are not sure what to do next, or haven’t got a clue how to best support your unique and ever-changing teen, I’m here to help. Together. we can create strategies to help you and your teen build more bridges through communication. We can review how to talk to your teen so they will listen, and how to listen to your teen so they will talk more.

Together, we can develop a more meaningful balance in your relationship and provide your teen equal space and support, all while helping you develop strategies in order to make you feel empowered and confident as a parent.

MY PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY

In college, I envisioned myself wanting to help people in some way, but I wasn’t exactly sure how. Then, I experienced an unexpected loss due to a sports injury. Life took a drastic detour and kind of turned upside down. Losing the ability to play sports, something that I loved and valued, due to injury made me question everything. 

However, through my own grief and acceptance process, I found myself becoming more interested in mental wellness, what it means to be emotionally healthy, how to get aligned with my goals and values, and how to create a life I wanted, while redefining and connecting to what was most important. 

The trajectory of my future changed, and I turned pain into purpose and decided to pursue a career working in the field of counseling. I’ve gained most of my clinical experience at a residential and partial hospitalization level of care establishments,working with individuals aged 14+ with eating, mood, and anxiety disorders. 

Currently, in conjunction with my clinical internship at Health and Healing Therapy, I am a Program Therapist clinically supporting an adolescent and adult population with mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. I have prepared and led therapeutic groups with focuses such as ACT, DBT, goals and values, boundaries, family dynamics, life skills, and relationships and connection. 

I am now in my final year of graduate school at Adler University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am excited and eager to hold space for you to feel heard, validated, and supported as we work toward pursuing your strongest, most value-driven self. 

Professional Bio

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS 

• B.S. in Health and Society, Biology, and Anthropology, Beloit College 

• M.A. Counseling with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Adler University (expected December 2023) 

In Closing

I hope this gives you a better understanding of who I am as a clinician and what I value in my work with clients. I am excited to help you find strength and courage in yourself seeking support through coming to therapy. With openness, empathy, and compassion, I hope you consider contacting me to find health, healing, and stability in your life.