About Joan
Joan Paradis greets people with a calm, conversational style. She listens without judgment and helps each person start from where they are. Joan aims to make it easier to talk about hard things and to take small steps that lead to real change.
Joan is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - based in Illinois and brings 13 years of experience to her practice. She focuses on common concerns like stress, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and grief.
Background and approach
She also supports people facing workplace strain, compassion fatigue, and issues related to addiction or bipolar disorder. Her approach centers on practical strategies and steady support. Joan uses ideas from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people move toward the life they want.
She mixes in mindfulness and client-centered work to keep sessions grounded in each person's values and pace. Joan also helps people dealing with trauma, relationship struggles, parenting strain, and isolation. She addresses unique situations such as coping after a natural or human-caused disaster, first responder stress, and hospice or end-of-life concerns.
Her style stays gentle while focusing on clear steps forward. Sessions are conversational and collaborative. Joan encourages realistic goals, straightforward tools, and regular check-ins on progress.
She aims to create a respectful space where people can explore feelings, build coping skills, and regain more balance in daily life.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Joan uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice difficult thoughts and feelings while taking steps that match their values. ACT is useful for stress, anxiety, and situations where someone wants to act differently even when feelings are strong. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and to build practical skills for managing mood, worry, and everyday problems.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Joan will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals and preferences. She checks in about what is working and adjusts the focus so sessions stay useful and relevant to the client’s life.
Online therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video is helpful for deeper conversation, phone can be easier when bandwidth or movement is a concern, and chat or messaging work well for brief check-ins or when typing feels more comfortable. These options allow sessions to fit into work breaks, caregiving routines, or other busy schedules.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
Also works with
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- First responder issues
- Grief
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English