OakHeart, Center for Counseling
  • Home
  • Counseling
  • Specialties
    • Depression
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Anxiety Disorders >
      • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Worry)
      • Social Anxiety Disorder
      • Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
      • Health Anxiety
      • Specific Phobias
    • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    • Eating Disorders
    • Grief and Bereavement
    • ADHD
    • Maternal Mental Health
    • Infertility, Miscarriage, and Neonatal Loss
    • Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
    • PTSD >
      • COVID-19 Related PTSD and Anxiety >
        • COVID-19 Resources
    • Trauma
    • Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)
    • Substance Use Disorders (SUD)
    • Anger Management
    • Adjustment/Stress
    • Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
    • Insomnia
    • Divorce Recovery
    • Relationship Concerns and Couples Counseling
    • Self-Esteem
    • Therapy for Therapists
    • LGBTQA+ Support
    • Faith-Based Counseling
    • Responder & Veteran Care
    • Caregiver Support
  • Providers
    • Pamela Heilman
    • Katie Sheehan
    • Hillary Gorin
    • Lee Ann Heathcoat
    • Adam Ginsburg
    • Megan Noren
    • Sarah Williams
    • Christina Bieche
    • Bridgette Koukos
    • Alma Lazaro
    • Leah Arthur
    • Amy Jakobsen
    • Lizzy Lowe
    • Gerry Lawm
    • Melanie Vause
    • Caroline Dress
    • Kevin Hamor
    • Abby Jeske
    • Hannah Amundson
    • Rebecca Gary
    • Heather Simpson
    • Cory Giguere
    • Vanessa Osmer
    • Kat Harris
  • Locations
    • North Aurora Counseling
    • Sycamore Counseling
    • Telehealth Online Counseling
  • Contact
  • Treatments
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    • Exposure and Response Prevention
    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
    • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
    • Cognitive Processing Therapy
    • Prolonged Exposure Therapy
    • Behavioral Activation (BA)
    • Panic Control Treatment
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
  • Employment
  • FAQ and Notices
  • OakHeart Blog
  • Administrative and Leadership Team
  • Mental Health Resources
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Evidence-Based Treatments and Approaches

We are committed to offering evidence-based treatments within an evidence-based practice model. Understanding what this means can help you feel more confident in the care you are receiving.

An evidence-based treatment is one that has been found to be safe and effective through rigorous scientific research, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews. These are not treatments that simply feel helpful or sound reasonable. They are treatments that have been tested, studied, and shown to produce meaningful, lasting improvement in symptoms and quality of life across large groups of people. When we say we use evidence-based treatments, we mean that the approaches our clinicians use have cleared a high scientific bar.

Evidence-based practice is a broader concept that goes beyond simply choosing the right treatment. It is defined by the American Psychological Association (2005) as "the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values." In other words, evidence-based practice means that our clinicians do not apply treatments rigidly or in a one-size-fits-all manner. They bring their clinical expertise, their knowledge of the research, and a genuine understanding of each client's unique circumstances, preferences, and goals to every treatment decision. The best care happens at the intersection of what the science supports, what the clinician knows, and what the client needs.
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This commitment to evidence-based practice also means that our clinicians regularly monitor client progress, seek supervision and consultation when needed, and are willing to adjust the treatment approach if something is not working. We believe our clients deserve to know that their care is grounded in the best available science and delivered by clinicians who take their responsibility seriously.

Some of the evidence-based treatments we offer include, but are not limited to:
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD
  • Panic Control Treatment (PCT) for Panic Disorder​​
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)​​
  • Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) for PTSD
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Trauma
  • Motivational Interviewing (MI)
  • Behavioral Activation (BA)​​
  • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
  • ​​​Art Therapy​​
Additionally, our therapists bring strengths-based, person-centered, and humanistic orientations to the evidence-based approaches we use. In practice, that means we pay attention to your existing strengths and resources, not only your symptoms or your diagnosis, and we keep your goals and values central to the work. Even when we are using a structured protocol, the direction of treatment is something we decide with you.
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While evidence-based treatments are powerful tools for reducing symptoms and improving outcomes, the heart and foundation of effective therapy is the relationship between therapist and client. We place a high value on respecting our clients, on offering a safe and supportive space for growth, and on treating each client's needs, values, and goals as an invaluable catalyst for change.
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Counseling Phone: 630-570-0050
Fax: 630-570-0045
Email: [email protected]
North Aurora, IL Location
​66 Miller Drive, Suite 105
North Aurora, IL 60542
phone: 630-570-0050
​Sycamore, IL Location
1950 DeKalb Ave, Unit E
Sycamore, IL 60178
phone: 779-201-6440
  • Home
  • Counseling
  • Specialties
    • Depression
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Anxiety Disorders >
      • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Worry)
      • Social Anxiety Disorder
      • Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
      • Health Anxiety
      • Specific Phobias
    • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    • Eating Disorders
    • Grief and Bereavement
    • ADHD
    • Maternal Mental Health
    • Infertility, Miscarriage, and Neonatal Loss
    • Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
    • PTSD >
      • COVID-19 Related PTSD and Anxiety >
        • COVID-19 Resources
    • Trauma
    • Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)
    • Substance Use Disorders (SUD)
    • Anger Management
    • Adjustment/Stress
    • Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
    • Insomnia
    • Divorce Recovery
    • Relationship Concerns and Couples Counseling
    • Self-Esteem
    • Therapy for Therapists
    • LGBTQA+ Support
    • Faith-Based Counseling
    • Responder & Veteran Care
    • Caregiver Support
  • Providers
    • Pamela Heilman
    • Katie Sheehan
    • Hillary Gorin
    • Lee Ann Heathcoat
    • Adam Ginsburg
    • Megan Noren
    • Sarah Williams
    • Christina Bieche
    • Bridgette Koukos
    • Alma Lazaro
    • Leah Arthur
    • Amy Jakobsen
    • Lizzy Lowe
    • Gerry Lawm
    • Melanie Vause
    • Caroline Dress
    • Kevin Hamor
    • Abby Jeske
    • Hannah Amundson
    • Rebecca Gary
    • Heather Simpson
    • Cory Giguere
    • Vanessa Osmer
    • Kat Harris
  • Locations
    • North Aurora Counseling
    • Sycamore Counseling
    • Telehealth Online Counseling
  • Contact
  • Treatments
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    • Exposure and Response Prevention
    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
    • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
    • Cognitive Processing Therapy
    • Prolonged Exposure Therapy
    • Behavioral Activation (BA)
    • Panic Control Treatment
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
  • Employment
  • FAQ and Notices
  • OakHeart Blog
  • Administrative and Leadership Team
  • Mental Health Resources