Melissa Carlson Counseling

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United States
Algonquin, IL
Melissa Carlson Counseling

Group private practice offering telehealth sessions in addition to in-person offices in Algonquin, IL. Our therapists see children, teens & adults.

Culturally-competent, trauma-informed talk therapy, play therapy, & EMDR.

12/18/2025

Happy 5 year anniversary Judy🎉

Judy Flores Sender, LPC works in office with teens & children using play, sandtray, & art therapy to provide young clients with opportunities to express & process feelings, learn social developmental skills, & feel empowered.

Judy is bilingual Spanish/English. To learn more about working with Judy please visit https://www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/meet-judy BCBS, Aetna, & UHC/Optum Insurance accepted. To learn more about Play Therapy as the choice treatment for children 3-12 visit https://www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/play-therapy

12/08/2025

Accepting Illinois clients with evening availability ➡️ Kevin specializes in supporting people of color navigating anxiety, depression, anger, life transitions, and grief & loss. BCBS, Aetna, UHC/Optum, NIU Student Insurance are accepted. Telehealth. If you’d like more information or to make an appointment with Kevin, please visit www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/meet-kevin

11/27/2025

Wishing everyone a beautiful Thanksgiving, but especially to our clients🤍 I know I speak for my whole team when I say we are so grateful for you. In a time when the world feels so heavy and our socials are full of bad news, it is your strength, resilience, joy, and commitment to your healing that keeps us showing up to meet you on your journey.

Thank you for your trust and for the hope you fuel in all of us. 🤍Melissa & team

11/24/2025

(reposting from last year but too important not to repeat)
‼️Reminder as we approach the holidays‼️This messaging is harmful. I have seen this play out again & again; a client feeling like they couldn’t say no or it was easier to just let it happen or what they wanted doesn’t matter anyway. Please don’t do this.

Teach children (every age) that they have autonomy over their own body. They’re allowed to reject affection that they don’t want. They can greet family members (or anyone) however they feel comfortable (handshake, fist bump, wave). Let them know that you will support this by; letting family members know in advance if this is a new boundary you are setting, verbalizing the change in a statement (ex. Sara doesn’t want to give hugs today but she’s been practicing her handshake), backing them up if needed (ex. No, it’s her choice, she doesn’t have to hug Aunt Sally).

Adults: ASK permission before hugging, kissing, picking up other people’s children if they don’t initiate the contact. This is so easy, “Can I give you a hug goodbye?” And then accept their answer without expressing disappointment or anger.

A child who understands their control over their body is less likely to be a victim of sexual abuse and more capable of creating and maintaining healthy relationships into adulthood. (https://thearcofhr.org/consent-and-body-autonomy/)

11/10/2025

I’ve been thinking about “acceptance” as it relates to the current state of our world. **please take a deep breath and read entire post before reacting** We are inundated with endless videos of human rights violations - there is no shortage of examples of people being unlawfully kidnapped & beaten, children left behind or being taken, and millions cut off from accessing food. It’s easy to get lost in the flood of information (guilty) but being overwhelmed with endless graphic evidence of what we already know is not helpful and in most cases it’s literally hurting us. **I am not suggesting we bury our heads in the sand and pretend this is not happening.**

The opposite actually.

ACCEPTANCE of what is happening. This does not mean you are ok with any of this. Acceptance means this is where we are now. And now that we have faced that - we can make a plan for change. We can think about what we (as individuals & as part of a community) CAN do. We can witness the strength & resilience of others. We can feel the collective sense of justice. We can hold on to hope. We can take care of ourselves & others in preparation for our opportunity to contribute.

When I am feeling especially powerless in this, I am reminded that I can do SOMETHING.
💙Melissa

11/06/2025

November is Men’s Health Month — a reminder that taking care of yourself isn’t just about the gym, the diet, or the annual check-up.

It’s also about your mental and emotional health — the parts most men were never really taught how to care for.

One of the most common things I hear from men in therapy is:

“I just feel disconnected.”

Disconnected from their partner. From their kids. From their friends. From themselves.

They’re doing everything they’re “supposed to” — working hard, showing up, keeping it together — but something still feels off.

In therapy, we slow down and look underneath that disconnection — the pressure to always succeed, the buried anger, the silence around fear, grief, or shame.

Men’s work isn’t about becoming someone else.

It’s about coming back to yourself — the version that feels grounded, honest, and connected to what actually matters.

This November, take a moment to check in — not just with your body, but with your mind and your heart.

- Aaron

Aaron Peska, LCSW sees clients via telehealth and is in network with most insurance plans, including NIU student insurance. Aaron currently has 1-2 openings on Saturday mornings. To learn more about working with Aaron submit an inquiry form here: www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/contact

11/03/2025

Happy 2 Year Anniversary Molly Raymond, LCSW!✨ We are grateful to have Molly as a part of our team as she supports teens (& their parents) and adults in a variety of presenting concerns using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). Molly is also trained in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and had this to say:

“One specialty area I have focused on over the past 5 years in my trainings & clinical work is in Nonviolent Communication (NVC). I have been using these skills significantly as many individuals are experiencing increased challenges to create & maintain relationships in our current cultural climate. This work involves teaching individuals how to identify their values & needs and empowering them to then express those to others in a clear & respectful way.”

To learn more about Molly or to request an appointment, see her full bio at https://www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/meet-molly

Molly offers evening appointments & accepts most insurance plans. Telehealth for IL residents only.

11/01/2025

🚨 Missing Teen Alert - Please Share to Help Find Her 🚨

Valentina Colonia, age 15, has been missing since October 22, 2025, from Elgin, Illinois.

Her family is deeply concerned for her safety — the more time passes, the more urgent this becomes.

If you have any information, please contact the Elgin Police Department at 847-697-2380.

10/29/2025

Don’t confuse resilience with endless capacity, even the strongest trees need a season of rest.
❤️Melissa

10/23/2025

Unpopular truth: many parents attempt to “fix” their child’s behavior through therapy but are unwilling to do their own work.

Parents may feel that if the child’s behavior improves there will no longer be issues within the family, but it doesn’t work that way. Often what is presenting as a “problem” with the child is part of a larger family issue.

When parents seek out their own support through individual, couples, &/or family therapy or through parenting sessions, they are showing their child they are in this WITH them. They’re not asking the child to do anything that they are not willing to do.
🖤Melissa

To get started with one of our therapists complete an inquiry form at www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/contact

10/10/2025

Shame and guilt can feel like emotional quicksand.

You try to move forward, but something keeps pulling you back.

🔹 Guilt is feeling bad about what you did.
🔹 Shame is feeling like you are bad.

Both are painful—but shame can be especially isolating. It whispers things like “You’re not enough” or “You don’t deserve forgiveness.”

Here’s the good news: these feelings don’t have to define you.

In therapy, you can:

Unpack where guilt or shame comes from

Challenge the beliefs that keep you stuck

Learn to show yourself compassion

Begin to heal from the inside out

You are not your worst moment. You’re a whole person—worthy of understanding, growth, and healing.

If you’ve been carrying shame or guilt alone, maybe it’s time to talk to someone. Therapy can help.

You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re human.
- Aaron Peska, LCSW

Aaron currently has availability for new IL telehealth clients on Saturday mornings. To learn more about working with Aaron, you can read his bio & submit an inquiry form here: www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/meet-aaron

Address

2200 Huntington Drive N
Algonquin, IL
60102

Telephone

+18155165001

Website

http://www.melissacarlsoncounseling.com/

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