About Concentric
Concentric is a warm, safe, dedicated, and very responsive group practice who walks you through your entire journey from the first time you reach out to us to the time you complete your therapy and counseling services with us. We pride ourselves on learning about you and your needs so we can tailor our services to meet you and your needs along the way. The entire staff consults with one another regularly to ensure we are on the same page, delivering our clients consistent and exceptional service.
We draw from our extensive training, education, and professional and personal experiences to help others feel more connected and loved, centered, and at ease. The therapists at Concentric are experts in relationship problems; couples and marriage struggles; tween, adolescent and family issues; depression, anxiety, and mood disorders; complex trauma, relational trauma, and PTSD; mind-body connection; life transitions and stress; the self, identity, purpose & meaning; substance misuse and abuse; and unresolved family-of-origin issues.
Concentric -- Why and When?
After operating a solo practice for 3.5 years, Jennifer (Karolak) Larson, LCPC, NCC wanted to continue to help others, but without the confines and limitations of a solo practice. Jennifer:
Envisioned a place that offered more than individual and couples therapy services to include tween, adolescent, and family therapy, couples intensives, group therapy, workshops, and consulting services.
Wanted a place that would offer less barriers to clients who were in need of a variety of coordinated services, such as people who needed both individual and couples therapy, working with different therapists within the same practice.
Recognized barriers can make it difficult for certain people to have consistent in-person sessions by offering online, video counseling and teletherapy.
Desired for clients to have the benefit of learning a variety of tools by different therapists who offer a diverse, but yet, rich repertoire of specialties and therapeutic approaches.
Desired to support other professional therapists by offering clinical supervision and consulting services.
Wanted a place where therapists could easily consult with, contribute to one another's professional growth, and more importantly, help facilitate coordination of care and best clinical treatment outcomes for all of our clients.
Envisioned a group of people with rich and diverse backgrounds and identities, taking into account ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religious and spiritual beliefs.
Professional Training and Development offered to the entire Group, Training topics selected by each Therapist on a rotating basis where we all learn together. To learn about our Group trainings, please visit Therapeutic Approaches.
What does this mean for you and your loved ones? Simply put, but of great significance. Better care and treatment. For you and your loved ones.
Looking at Ourselves & Our Relationships Through the Lens of Concentric Circles
Around this same time, Jennifer also began to think about the symbol and meaning of concentric circles, and how it applies to people, relationships and mental health. The Latin word concentricus means con (together) and centrum (center). In geometry, concentric is a term for two or more objects that share the same center. As individuals we stand in the innermost circle of a concentric circle, yet, we do not exist completely in isolation. Throughout our life, we co-exist in other relationships, systems and domains represented by the outer concentric circles. Some of these influential and significant systems include our partners, spouses, family of choice, friends and peers, family-of-origin, school, work, our community at large, and other systemic, cultural, and societal frameworks. We can gain greater insight, recognize our strengths and assets as well as our patterns, struggles and pain when understanding the impact and presence of influential systems in our lives.
At Concentric Counseling & Consulting, we strive to help you better understand yourself and to work through the internal and external barriers that keep you and others from feeling whole so you can establish and maintain a more centered life filled with more satisfying, healthier relationships.
All of these ideas sparked the birth of forming a group practice in 2013 called Concentric Counseling & Consulting.
Breaking the Silence on Mental Health and Addiction
We believe in the importance of using one's voice. In therapy, we help our clients learn how to express their thoughts and feelings with respect and integrity to others in their most intimate relationships (inner concentric circles) and as far out as to those in the community (outer concentric circles).
Concentric Counseling & Consulting proudly took part in a community effort by hosting its first On The Table discussion on May 16, 2017. We partnered up with The Kennedy Forum and The Chicago Community Trust to combat stigma against mental health and addiction disorders by encouraging open and honest conversations at Millennium Park. Our topic of discussion was Your Voice Matters: Mental Health and Addiction. Honest Discussion About Why More People Don't Seek Out Help. To learn more about our participants' intelligent and heartfelt ideas and solutions at On The Table 2017, please read them here.
Our Duty To You
Our duty is to create a trusting environment where you can feel safe sharing your authentic experiences with us. Our aim is to understand you and what makes you unique in the context of your experiences, needs, and desires. During our sessions and through developing self-care, we work together so that you can create a more centered, meaningful, and happier life.
Centered Mind. Centered You. Centered Relationships.
Concentric Counseling & Consulting also believes in striving towards balance and moderation in our lives. Working towards and maintaining balance can be challenging, and our passionate counselors and therapists are here to help you and the people that are significant in your life to become centered.
