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LCPC

Tamela Polanin, LCPC

  • Experience20 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Relationship
  • Therapy approachesClient-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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About Tamela

Tamela Polanin is an Illinois-based licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) with 20 years of experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, and life transitions.

Background and approach

She centers her work on the client's perspective, aiming to empower individuals to reclaim agency and cope with issues such as depression, grief, addictions, ADHD, and intimacy or parenting concerns. Tamela draws on lived and clinical experience with trauma to shape compassionate, practical care.

Her approach blends client-centered listening with evidence-informed techniques including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, emotionally focused therapy, and EMDR to address both current difficulties and underlying patterns. Tamela works with a broad range of concerns from attachment and family dynamics to career stress, anger, and self-esteem, tailoring interventions to each person’s history and goals.

She offers services from Illinois and accepts international clients, bringing two decades of practice to collaborative, goal-oriented work.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Many clients begin by looking for practical tools as well as compassionate listening. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) emphasizes understanding and reshaping emotional responses in relationships, which can help with attachment, intimacy, and family dynamics. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) offers a structured approach to processing traumatic memories so they feel less disruptive in daily life.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic partnership. The therapist will collaborate with each client to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and comfort level, and can combine elements from different modalities as progress unfolds. This exploratory process is designed to honor the client’s preferences while targeting the concerns they bring.

Online therapy makes that collaborative work more accessible through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options allow for scheduling flexibility and continuity of care across distances, enabling clients to maintain momentum even when in-person visits are impractical. Licensed professionals can tailor these formats to support skill-building, trauma work, and relationship-focused sessions in ways that suit each person's life and schedule.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Tamela address?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy-related problems, ADHD, and parenting challenges.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
The practice is client-centered and collaborative, using techniques from CBT, DBT, EFT, and EMDR to help clients build coping skills and process difficult experiences.
What is her clinical background and experience?
Tamela has 20 years of experience in mental health and has focused much of her work on trauma-informed care and related therapeutic approaches.
What credentials and location are listed for this therapist?
She holds the credential LCPC with licence IL LCPC 180.012372 and practices from Illinois.
Can clients who speak other languages or live abroad work with her?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients for remote services.
Which session formats does she offer for online work?
Available formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and needs.
How are costs and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What should someone do to begin therapy with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseDepression

Also works with

AddictionsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

20+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English

What Tamela can help with

Tamela Polanin works with clients on stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, and depression.

Tamela works with trauma.

Tamela works with all ages and all backgrounds.

How Tamela approaches therapy

Tamela's clinical approaches include Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Tamela is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor practicing in Illinois, with 20 years of clinical experience.