Tamela Polanin, LCPC

Tamela Polanin is a licensed clinical professional counselor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and parenting concerns. She speaks plainly and listens closely to understand what matters most to each person. Tamela aims to make therapy feel practical and doable for everyday life.

She brings 20 years of experience in mental health to sessions. That background includes focused work around trauma, grief, addictions, intimacy issues, ADHD, and relationship challenges. Tamela emphasizes a client-centered stance where the person’s goals guide the work together.

Tamela combines several approaches to fit the needs of a person. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques, Emotionally-Focused work, and elements of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing when trauma is present. These tools are used to build coping skills, change unhelpful patterns, and process painful memories.

Her style is collaborative and straightforward. Tamela helps people break big problems into clear steps. She supports parents dealing with the strain of raising children and assists people facing major life changes like divorce, adoption issues, or career shifts.

Based in Illinois, Tamela offers sessions in English and accepts international clients. She balances clinical experience with a down-to-earth approach drawn from her own life as a parent and caregiver. The focus is on what helps someone feel more steady and capable day to day.

How therapeutic approaches fit into online work

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with more helpful options. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many day-to-day challenges because it gives clear skills to practice between sessions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, often called DBT, emphasizes skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating distress. It can help people who struggle with anger, mood swings, or patterns that cause repeated conflict.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a method some therapists use to process traumatic memories so they feel less overwhelming. When trauma is a central concern, EMDR elements may be introduced alongside other approaches.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they choose techniques that fit the person’s pace and comfort level, and adjust them over time.

Online therapy offers flexibility across formats like video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging. Video lets people keep visual contact and read nonverbal cues. Phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in. Live chat and text messaging make it simpler to fit short sessions into a busy day or to share thoughts between meetings. These options help make consistent work possible even with a hectic schedule.