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Ari Eriksson, LCSW

ADHD, Trauma & School-Related Issues Therapist

Available in English

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Quick Facts

Designation

Licensed Clinical Social Worker / LCSW

Languages

English (Fluent)

Location

Ages

Children and Adolescents

Adults (all ages)

Main Specialties

ADHD, trauma, school-related issues, academic stress

Availability

Accepting new clients

What I Help With

I support children, adolescents, and adults navigating the ways mental health can affect school, relationships, family life, and daily functioning. Many of the people I work with are dealing with academic stress, emotional challenges, family dynamics, major life transitions, ADHD, trauma, anxiety, stress, burnout, identity questions, or a general sense that something feels off.

My 3 Core Specialties

1. ADHD & Day-to-Day Functioning

I help clients better understand how ADHD and executive functioning challenges can affect school, work, relationships, routines, and daily life. Together, we focus on practical strategies that can actually fit into your real world.

2. School-Related Issues & Academic Stress

With a background in school-based and community work across Chicago, I support clients navigating academic pressure, school-related challenges, emotional stress, and the ways school can affect mental health and family life.

3. Trauma, Emotional Challenges & Life Transitions

I support clients working through trauma, emotional challenges, family dynamics, and major life transitions. Therapy can be a space to slow things down, make sense of what is happening, and experiment with new ways of responding when life feels overwhelming or uncertain.

I also help with...

Family Dynamics: Support for understanding family patterns, conflict, expectations, communication challenges, and changing relationships.
Anxiety, Stress & Burnout: Helping clients slow down, identify patterns, and build realistic tools for managing stress in everyday life.
Identity Questions: Creating space to better understand yourself without being reduced to a label, diagnosis, or single moment.
Emotional Challenges: Support for making sense of difficult emotions and building skills that apply outside of session.
Life Transitions: Helping clients navigate change, uncertainty, and moments when they are trying to figure out what comes next.

My Approach to Therapy

My approach is collaborative and flexible. Therapy does not have to follow a rigid structure to be effective. It can be a space to slow things down, make sense of patterns, and experiment with new ways of responding to challenges.

"You do not need a perfectly defined goal to start therapy. We can begin wherever you are, clarify what feels most important, and adjust the focus as your needs become clearer."

Therapy Approaches I Use

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT can help you notice patterns in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, then practice new ways of responding to challenges in daily life.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT can help you clarify what matters to you and take realistic steps toward those values, even when stress, anxiety, or uncertainty are present.
Trauma-Focused CBT: Trauma-Focused CBT offers structured support for processing difficult experiences and building coping skills in a safe, supportive way.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Solution-focused work emphasizes practical next steps, strengths, and strategies that can help you move toward meaningful change.
Play Therapy: Play therapy can help children express emotions, process experiences, and build coping skills in developmentally appropriate ways.
Motivational interviewing: Supports reflection, clarity, and change by helping you explore what matters and what feels realistic.
Strength-Based Therapy: Strength-based therapy focuses on resilience, existing skills, and the parts of you that can support growth and change.

Professional Background & Education

Ari Eriksson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a background in school-based and community work across Chicago. He has spent years supporting children, adolescents, and adults as they navigate academic stress, emotional challenges, family dynamics, major life transitions, ADHD, trauma, school-related issues, and the connection between mental health and day-to-day functioning. Ari earned his Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois Chicago and his Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University.

Ready to Get Started?

You do not need a perfectly defined goal to begin therapy. Whether you are dealing with something specific or just feel like things could be better, therapy can be a place to slow things down, understand what is happening, and build practical skills for real life.