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Sarah Taetzsch, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor, TF-CBT Certified • Illinois LPC
A safe place for teens and young adults, roughly 10 to 27, to set things down. I help with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and the pressure of figuring out what comes next, in person in Wheaton or online across Illinois.
Is your teen struggling, or are you stuck at the starting line?
Watching your teenager struggle is one of the most helpless feelings there is. School and friendships have become too much, every decision seems impossible, and you may be seeing them pull away or hurt in ways that scare you.
And if you are the teen reading this, everything feels like a lot right now, and part of you just wishes someone could step in and make the choices so the pressure would ease. You do not have to have it all figured out to come in.
I also work with young adults who just finished high school or college and feel stuck at the starting line, anxious about what comes next and unsure of the first step.
I see teens and young adults between about 10 and 27, for anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, big life changes, relationships, and the pressure to find a calling and career. Some come in while they are dealing with self-harm or thoughts of not wanting to be here, and there is room for that too.
My job is to make this feel safe. We will look honestly at the habits and patterns that are not helping, but I will never shame you into changing. Sessions can be structured or open, whatever fits, and you set the pace.
The goal was never for someone else to run your life. It is for you to feel steadier and able to make your own decisions again.
The tools shift with what you need: cognitive behavioral therapy to question the thoughts that box you in, person-centered work to help you trust your own judgment, and solution-focused and dialectical behavior therapy to bring clarity and slow things down when everything feels urgent. I also use acceptance and commitment therapy, and play therapy with my younger clients. Underneath all of it is one belief: change is possible, because our brains really can rewire old habits.
When the workday ends, I am off playing badminton, reading, out in nature, or at concerts with friends and family.
If you are unsure whether therapy can really help, for you or your teen, that is a fair question, and it is welcome in our first session. What I want to give you is a place to bring your whole self and find some direction. I see clients in person here in Wheaton, and across Illinois by telehealth.
Trying this out starts small: a free 15-minute call with our care coordinator, who will share my availability and get your first session on the calendar.
What I help with
I work with teens and young adults, roughly 10 to 27, across a range of concerns. Each area links to more on how that support works.
Anxiety
Ease the racing thoughts and the constant pressure to hold it all together.
Learn more →Depression
Find your way back to energy, motivation, and things that feel worth it.
Learn more →Trauma & PTSD
Process what happened in a safe, paced way so it loosens its grip.
Learn more →Grief & Loss
Carry what you have lost in a way that leaves room to keep living.
Learn more →Life Transitions
Steady yourself through big changes, from graduating to figuring out what is next.
Learn more →Teen Therapy
Support for teens facing school, friendships, and the weight of growing up.
Learn more →Other things people bring to me: relationships, the pressure to find a calling and career, and self-harm and thoughts of not wanting to be here. Serving Wheaton, Naperville, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Downers Grove, and Carol Stream.
Tools I draw on
The tools shift with what you need. These are the ones I return to most.
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to question the thoughts that box you in.
Read the article →ACT
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to make room for hard feelings and move toward what matters.
Read the article →DBT
Dialectical Behavior Therapy to bring clarity and slow things down when everything feels urgent.
Play Therapy
For younger clients, a way to work through feelings that are hard to put into words.
Alongside these, I draw on person-centered work and solution-focused therapy, always with one belief underneath: change is possible, because our brains really can rewire old habits.
What getting started looks like
First-time therapy can feel like a big step. Here is how it tends to go.
A free 15-minute call
Talk with our care coordinator, ask questions, and check that we are a good fit. No pressure.
Your first session
You set the pace. I listen, learn what brought you in, and we map out what you want to work toward.
Steady work together
Regular sessions, in person or online, building tools and insight at a rhythm that feels right for you.
Questions, answered
Do you offer online therapy?
What ages do you work with?
What happens in a first session?
Do you take my insurance?
What happens if we are not a good fit?
Do I need to take medication to be in therapy?
Ready to take the first step?
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation and find out if working with Sarah feels right for you or your teen.
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Find Me in Wheaton, IL
We're located just south of Manchester Rd on County Farm Rd, a few minutes from Downtown Wheaton, Cantigny Park, and the DuPage County Complex. Our space offers quiet, private therapy rooms and a calm waiting area. Many clients split sessions between in-person and telehealth depending on the week.
We offer both in-person sessions at our Wheaton office and online therapy to clients across Illinois, including throughout DuPage County and Kane County. Proudly serving Wheaton and the surrounding communities: Glen Ellyn, Winfield, Carol Stream, Warrenville, West Chicago, Naperville, Downers Grove, Lombard, Glendale Heights, Aurora, Geneva, St. Charles, Batavia, Elgin, and the western suburbs of Chicago.
Hours