Michelle Spiewak, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Resident

Welcome! Taking the first step to start therapy can sometimes feel scary, and beginning your journey to healing is something to be proud of. I am honored to walk alongside you and help you navigate throughout this experience. My role as a therapist is to create a safe environment that helps you feel heard, understood, and valued. I bring empathy, authenticity, and genuineness to the therapeutic relationship and I value the inner strength and empowerment of every individual. I embrace the importance of working collaboratively with you to identify and achieve your therapeutic goals. I strive to facilitate a welcoming and non-judgmental space so you can be the truest form of yourself.

I am particularly passionate about working with students. This phase of life comes with a unique set of challenges such as adjusting to life transitions, working through school and career stressors, managing relationship and family challenges, and exploring one’s developing identity. I aim to help you navigate stress management, prevent burnout, and set a healthy work/life balance. I also specialize in working with clients with body image issues and eating concerns, and have extensively researched ADHD and concentration difficulties in young adults.

As a clinician, I integrate numerous techniques and work from a culturally-sensitive framework utilizing cognitive-behavioral, family systems, and strengths-based approaches. I also have specific training in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and the Gottman method.

Experience

My prior clinical experiences include providing individual, group, couples, and family therapy at a private practice and in numerous college counseling centers. I most recently completed my doctoral internship at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Counseling Center. I have supported clients from a wide array of racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds with many unique presenting concerns. I have been fortunate to work with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults throughout my training. I am passionate about empowering my clients to achieve their therapeutic goals.

Licensure

I am a postdoctoral resident at Balanced Awakening. I have several years of clinical experience, yet require additional supervised practice before being eligible for licensure in the state of Illinois. I am supervised by Dr. Hannah Yang outside of appointment times.

THERAPIST SPECIALITIES

  • Academic & Career Stressors

  • Adjustment to Life Transitions

  • Relationship & Family Challenges

  • Identity Development

  • ADHD

  • Anxiety & Depression

  • Perfectionism & Burnout

  • Stress Management

  • Body Image Issues

Client focus

  • Students

  • Teens

  • College/Emerging Adults

  • Adults

  • Couples

Location

Insurance Accepted

  • Aetna

  • BCBS PPO

  • Blue Choice PPO

Licensure

  • Supervised Postdoctoral Resident

Education

  • Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, Illinois School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University, Chicago, IL, 2023

  • M.A., Clinical Psychology, Illinois School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University, Chicago, IL, 2019

  • B.A., Psychology, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, 2016

Availability and Scheduling:

Dr. Spiewak sees clients online over video (telehealth) Monday-Friday. She also sees clients in person at our Loop office on Tuesdays and our Lakeview office on Wednesdays. Dr. Spiewak has limited availability for new clients. If you would like to work with her, you can join the waitlist below!