Radiant Therapy & Wellness
Ilana Morgan-Lopez, LCSW, PEL
​With over 10 years of experience working in this field with adults and adolescents from various backgrounds, I bring an array of therapeutic skills to our sessions. I’ve created a welcoming and relaxing office and hope to rid you of any initial nervousness with my humorous and easy going approach.
I enjoy assisting those experiencing life transitions with managing their emotional responses to stressors, establishing healthy boundaries, and exploring future planning and goal setting. I can also aid to improve interpersonal relationships and increase overall distress tolerance to help you get through life's ups and downs.
I have the ability to quickly establish rapport which makes it easier to actively work towards your identified goals right away. My client-centered approach allows you to openly share issues you feel are causing distress, and explore ways in which you would like to make changes.
We will identify a plan for you to move forward, while celebrating all of your successes, big and small, along the way. I focus on creating a safe environment where you will feel respected and comfortable being vulnerable, so you know you’re being heard and can get the help you need. Please allow me the privilege to help you live the life you want and have imagined for yourself!
My Story
I first became interested in the helping field during a high school service project to St. Louis, Missouri. It was during this trip, volunteering with various urban community programs, I was inspired to seek out a career that would allow me to help others and utilize innate qualities I already possessed, like empathy and active listening. While at Loyola University Chicago I learned about the different types of social work and then set my sights on earning a Masters of Social Work with a concentration in schools at the Jane Addams School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago. I spent the first five years of my career working at Chicago Public and Charter schools meeting the social and emotional needs of many students from a variety of backgrounds. I decided to use my experience to help a more vulnerable population at the Department of Juvenile Justice for another five years where I strengthened my skills in addressing trauma-related symptoms and teaching distress tolerance. After ten years of working in environments where I had limited time and resources to dedicate to my clients, I joined a private practice in Oak Park and worked with adolescents, adults, and families. My passion for prevention and holistic treatment led to my desire to co-found Radiant Therapy and Wellness with two former colleagues. I hope this opportunity enables me to continue to develop my career and support my clients, specifically focusing on individualized, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed care.
I spend my free time with friends, family and my two dogs. I enjoy gardening in my backyard, cycling around the city, being an active member of community environmental groups, and dancing the night away to Latin beats! More recently I’ve intentionally started reading more and disconnecting from my phone to help manage my own symptoms and “walk the walk.”
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.