LifeSpan Counseling and Psychological Services LLP

09/06/2025

Robert Hotz, MA kicked off our fall coffee and mental health chats today addressing the topic of trauma and stress disorders.

Join us for our other free talks!:

✨ Free Mental Health Coffee & Chats this Fall! ✨

This fall, LifeSpan Counseling & Psychological Services is excited to host free mental health chats at our Oak Park practice! ☕🍵

Join us to:
✔️ Learn about important mental health topics
✔️ Connect with our supportive team
✔️ Explore treatment options in a welcoming space

Whether you’re curious about the topic, considering therapy, or just want to meet us—we’d love to see you there!

Upcoming “Coffee & Chats” ☕

📅 Saturday, Sept 6 | 11AM–12PM
Understanding Trauma and Stress Disorders with Robert Hotz, MA

📅 Saturday, Sept 13 | 12PM–1PM
Understanding ADHD with Orson Morrison, Psy.D.

📅 Saturday, Oct 11 | 11AM–12PM
Understanding Anticipatory Grief with Rodrigo Blandford, MA

📅 Saturday, Oct 25 | 11AM–12PM
Generational Trauma and Resilience with Orson Morrison, Psy.D.

➡️ Register for free here: https://bit.ly/lifespanchats

Follow us to learn more:
(Note: No CEs are provided)

08/22/2025

✨ Free Mental Health Coffee & Chats this Fall! ✨

This fall, LifeSpan Counseling & Psychological Services is excited to host free mental health chats at our Oak Park practice! ☕🍵

Join us to:
✔️ Learn about important mental health topics
✔️ Connect with our supportive team
✔️ Explore treatment options in a welcoming space

Whether you’re curious about the topic, considering therapy, or just want to meet us—we’d love to see you there!

Upcoming “Coffee & Chats” ☕

📅 Saturday, Sept 6 | 11AM–12PM
Understanding Trauma and Stress Disorders with Robert Hotz, MA

📅 Saturday, Sept 13 | 12PM–1PM
Understanding ADHD with Orson Morrison, Psy.D.

📅 Saturday, Oct 11 | 11AM–12PM
Understanding Anticipatory Grief with Rodrigo Blandford, MA

📅 Saturday, Oct 25 | 11AM–12PM
Generational Trauma and Resilience with Orson Morrison, Psy.D.

➡️ Register for free here: https://bit.ly/lifespanchats

Follow us to learn more:
(Note: No CEs are provided)

08/20/2025

08/19/2025

🌟 The Power of Play! 🌟

Play isn’t just fun—it’s essential to how children express themselves, regulate emotions, and build relationships.

🎲 Play Therapy is a special form of therapy where the therapist meets the child at their developmental level, using toys and play materials as tools for healing and growth.

✨ Through Play Therapy, children can:
• Be accepted and supported right where they are
• Express themselves and work through challenges naturally through play
• Reduce anxieties and frustrations in a safe space
• Explore their inner world and build new skills in a consistent, nurturing environment

💛 Play is the language of children. Therapy through play gives them a voice.

📩 Reach out to to learn more about our play therapy services.

08/19/2025

Common Reactions to Transitioning to College (and how to cope) 📚🧠

Heading to—or back to—campus can be exciting and overwhelming. It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions, especially after years of remote/hybrid learning and in the midst of big societal stressors (pandemic, political polarization, gun violence, climate anxiety). You’re not alone.

What you might notice:
• Stress, anxiety, worry, or apprehensiveness
• Catastrophic thinking or hopelessness
• Strain in friendships/relationships, dip in academics, or less campus engagement

How to cope (and build resilience):
1. Normalize it. Give yourself time to adjust—feelings fluctuate during transitions.
2. Prioritize relationships. Join clubs, study groups, and communities that foster belonging. Call friends/family who “get” you.
3. Reflect & set goals. Pause, breathe, and ask: What do I hope for this year? Set 1–2 academic goals and 1–2 self-care goals. Make a short list of coping activities that work for you.
4. Catch thinking traps. Notice automatic negative thoughts (all-or-nothing, worst-case). Try cognitive restructuring:
• Name the thought → Check the evidence (for/against) → Replace with a more balanced, realistic thought → Practice.
5. Reach out. Support helps. Talk with a friend, RA, campus counseling, or a therapist.

If you’re struggling or feeling stuck, help is available. 💬

In crisis? Call/text 988 (US) for immediate support.

Life can be overwhelming and take unexpected turns. If depression, anxiety, or another mental trauma is impacting your life, our Oak Park therapists are here to help. We serve the Chicago western suburbs.

08/15/2025

Healing occurs in the context of relationships. 🌱
We thrive when we can lean on one another, nurture relationships, and build strong communities.

Let’s walk this path together. 💛

07/30/2025

July is Disability Pride Month 🌈

Let’s break the stigma surrounding ADHD and celebrate neurodiversity!

🧠 ADHD is a well-established disorder that impacts performance and motivation—not intelligence.

✅ It is highly treatable
💊 Medication + Therapy = Best outcomes
📚 Learning about ADHD fosters compassion, advocacy, and support
⏳ Early treatment leads to better long-term outcomes

Whether for yourself or a loved one, understanding is the first step toward healing.

👉 Reach out today for an assessment or treatment consultation.

📍
🔗 www.oakparktherapists.com

07/30/2025

🕊️ “Home is not where we live, home is where we belong.” – African Proverb

At , we believe that a true sense of belonging is not only foundational to strong family bonds—but essential to mental health and emotional wellbeing. 💛

🔹 Families thrive when they foster a culture of belonging. This means:
✨ Emotional safety – where everyone can be their full, authentic selves. It’s okay to feel deeply—what matters is expressing those feelings with empathy and care.
✨ Family traditions – whether it’s Sunday dinners, spontaneous dance parties, or holiday rituals, shared moments help us feel connected.
✨ A sense of purpose – belonging is built when everyone feels valued, seen, and needed—whether through cooking together, helping with chores, or simply showing up for each other.

💬 Ask yourself:
🌀 When do you feel a sense of belonging?
🌀 How do you create belonging in your family?

Let’s nurture spaces—at home and beyond—where we feel safe, valued, and connected. That’s where healing and growth truly begin. 🌱

07/18/2025

Join LifeSpan Counseling and Psychological Services LLP’s Dr. Morrison for this webinar on understanding ADHD.

Join CMHB and Riveredge Hospital for the next Rise N Learn webinar on August 8th at 9am!
Learn more & register at: bit.ly/RNL_Aug8

Clients often present with symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in clinical settings. This webinar reviews up-to-date research and clinical knowledge on ADHD. The presentation will cover topics such as the identification, assessment, and treatment of ADHD across the lifespan and will also include practical strategies that can be helpful in supporting clients with ADHD in clinical and non-clinical settings.

Presented by Orson Morrison, PsyD, co-owner LifeSpan Counseling and Psychological Services LLP

07/03/2025

Don’t forgot that little kid inside of you and what they needed.

Becoming the person you needed… that’s power. 🧡

06/30/2025

Training the next generation of Clinical Psychologists is so meaningful, fun and inspiring especially when you get to work with such talented trainees and wonderful human beings. We are sad to say goodbye to this group of doctoral students but we are so proud of their growth and we are honored to have accompanied them on their professional journeys. We’re excited for what’s next for each of them!!

06/27/2025

Today is PTSD Awareness Day. Let’s not only focus on the impact of trauma but also the ways in which resilience and healing can be promoted.

🌱 Generational resilience isn’t just possible—it’s achievable and you already likely have many of the building blocks.

At LifeSpan Counseling & Psychological Services (), we understand that healing generational burdens requires more than awareness—it takes action through intentionally building protective systems and strengths that nurture growth.

Here are 3 powerful protective systems that help build generational resilience and promote trauma healing:

1️⃣ Safe & Nurturing Caregiving (Secure Attachment)
Secure relationships begin with attuned, responsive caregiving. Supporting caregivers with parenting skills and providing early intervention during family stress builds a strong foundation for emotional safety.

2️⃣ Individual Capacities & Personal Strengths
Encouraging overall health, optimism, and emotional regulation builds personal resilience. When individuals learn effective coping and social-emotional skills, they’re better equipped to break harmful cycles.

3️⃣ Community & Cultural Connection
We heal in connection to/with others. Social support, a sense of belonging, and cultural roots provide the scaffolding for long-term resilience and healing from intergenerational pain.

💛 You are not destined to repeat the past.
You can grow stronger roots—and new branches.

📍 Learn more about our trauma-informed services at