Shelly Mark Lewin
Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, or facing a major life transition? I provide a safe, supportive space where adults can slow down, gain clarity, and develop practical strategies for moving forward. Throughout my extensive career, I've helped people navigate life's challenges both as a licensed clinical therapist and as a healthcare executive leading major hospital systems. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, burnout, relationship challenges, grief, or a major life transition, I provide a supportive space to gain clarity, build resilience, and move forward with confidence. Raised in Chicago’s Rogers Park and influenced by my father’s resilience as a Holocaust survivor, I bring a strong foundation of empathy and perspective to my work. I hold a master's in clinical social work from Loyola University and am licensed in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico and West Virginia. I also earned a master's degree in business administration from North Park University and an executive management certification from University of Southern California.
After 30+ years in executive roles at leading hospitals and health systems—including Kaiser Permanente, Mount Sinai, and Northwestern Memorial—I’m thrilled to launch my private therapy practice.
Having lived and worked across the United States and internationally, I bring a broad, culturally informed perspective to my practice. My therapeutic philosophy emphasizes positivity, confidence, and persistence.
First session
Your first session is about creating a safe, supportive space and starting a strong therapeutic relationship. I’ll explain how therapy works, review confidentiality, and answer your questions so you feel comfortable. You’ll share what brought you to therapy—your challenges and goals—at your own pace. Together, we’ll set clear, realistic goals like reducing anxiety, managing stress, or improving relationships. I’ll ask about your history and strengths to create a personalized plan. Therapy is a partnership: I use evidence-based methods and solution-focused approaches, always welcoming your input. Expect a judgment-free space where you can express yourself openly. My role is to listen, support, and guide you.
Strengths
I bring empathy, active listening, and a collaborative, strengths-based approach to every session. I help clients navigate anxiety, stress, life transitions, relationship challenges, and personal growth. My approach stands out because I use real-world insight, creating a supportive space where clients can gain clarity, build resilience, and move forward with confidence.
Ideal clients
My ideal clients are adults who may appear successful on the outside but feel overwhelmed, stressed, disconnected, or uncertain on the inside. Many are navigating relationship challenges, career stress, retirement, caregiving responsibilities, grief, or major life transitions. Together, we work to build self-awareness, strengthen coping skills, improve relationships, and create lasting change while honoring your unique strengths and values. They don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. What they do need is a desire for growth and a willingness to engage in the process. Together, we'll work to increase self-awareness, build on existing strengths, develop healthier patterns, and create lasting change at a pace that feels right for them. Primary Areas of Focus - Anxiety and stress management - Life transitions and personal growth - Men's issues - Relationship challenges - Grief and loss - Executive and professional burnout Reaching out for help is an act of strength. Whether you're facing a specific challenge or simply seeking greater balance and fulfillment, I provide a supportive, confidential space where you can feel heard, gain perspective, and move toward the life you want to create.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people find new ways to behave by changing their thought patterns. I incorporate strategies such as role-playing, identifying and challenging distorted thoughts and beliefs, establishing positive structure, routines, rules, and expectations.
Psychodynamic
I utilize Psychodynamic Therapy which is rooted in the understanding that recognizing behaviors for what they are can help clients build healthy coping mechanisms. By utilizing psychodynamic therapy, I help my clients answer why they do what we do, tying past events and subconscious constructs into present behaviors and behavior patterns.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
I utilize Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) by incorporating positive psychology principles and practices. I have been successful in helping clients change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems. This treatment method is a hope friendly, positive emotion eliciting, future-oriented vehicle for formulating, motivating, achieving, and sustaining desired behavioral change.
Trauma Informed Care
I consider the experiences of each client, and how trauma may have impacted their lives, what symptoms they’re experiencing and then I work with individuals to prevent re-traumatization.
Reality Therapy
I utilize Reality Therapy as a client-centered form of cognitive-behavioral therapy focusing on improving present relationships and circumstances. This approach is based on the idea that our most important need is to be loved, to feel that we belong and that all other basic needs can be satisfied only by building strong connections with others. Reality Therapy sees behavior as choices, and it teaches us that while we cannot control how we feel, we can control how we think and behave.
Location
Virtual sessions