CORE - Center of Relational Empowerment, PC

CORE - Center of Relational Empowerment, PC Individual, couples, family, group psychotherapy and testing services using a family systems approach and emphasizing multiculturalism in Chicago and Evanston.

Our team had a really fun time at Therapy on Tap, a networking event for therapists, in Evanston! Thank you to David Klo...
10/29/2025

Our team had a really fun time at Therapy on Tap, a networking event for therapists, in Evanston! Thank you to David Klow & for hosting!

Our staff and students got to enjoy a delicious meal and lovely time in community this morning for our annual fall brunc...
10/24/2025

Our staff and students got to enjoy a delicious meal and lovely time in community this morning for our annual fall brunch! What a great way to end the week 🥞☕️🍁🤎

This year’s focus for Domestic Violence Awareness Month is safety, support, and solidarity for survivors. The month of O...
10/22/2025

This year’s focus for Domestic Violence Awareness Month is safety, support, and solidarity for survivors. The month of October is dedicated to hearing the experiences of DV survivors and finding ways that you can help support their needs. This might look like donating to shelters that house survivors, providing a friend or family with a place to stay or home-cooked meals, offering to babysit children, or sharing mental health resources for long-term support. The effects of domestic violence do not end when a person leaves an abusive relationship or environment. It is important to listen to survivors’ experiences and needs to help them through the healing process.

If you are experiencing any form of domestic violence, help is available. Call, text, or live chat any of the hotlines above for 24/7 support. You are not alone. There is hope.

Sources:
📘 National Domestic Violence Hotline: Domestice Violence Awareness Month (www.thehotline.org)
📘 Domestic Violence Awareness Project: DVAM 2025: With Survivors, Always (dvawareness.org)
📘 Domestic Violence Awareness Project: Survivor Help & Resources (www.dvawareness.org/seeking-help)

🌱 core-chicago.com
🌱 Follow us for more mental health resources.
🌱 IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone. Please see disclaimers in highlights.

This week is OCD Awareness week and we want to highlight the various forms of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) that p...
10/14/2025

This week is OCD Awareness week and we want to highlight the various forms of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) that people may experience.

Like all mental health disorders, OCD can look different for each individual diagnosed - the key aspects to note are that obsessions are unwanted and unpleasant, and compulsions are performed as a means to neutralize these thoughts, fears, or worries. OCD is more than just being particular and cleaning a lot, though it may include rituals related to cleaning and organization for some people. OCD is a distressing and time-consuming disorder that significantly impacts daily life.

If you suspect you may have OCD, it is important to be evaluated for formal diagnosis in order to find support in managing it. CORE offers comprehensive psychological testing at both of our locations. Reach out today to get started!

Sources:
📘 American Psychiatric Association: What Is are Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders?

🌱 core-chicago.com
🌱 Follow us for more mental health resources.
🌱 IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone. Please see disclaimers in highlights.

Today marks World Mental Health Day! This is observed annually to remind us how important it is to take care of your men...
10/10/2025

Today marks World Mental Health Day! This is observed annually to remind us how important it is to take care of your mental health. It can take hard work and time to grow and improve your mental health, but the first step is recognizing when you are struggling and finding support. Mental health is not a shameful topic and there are a wide range of things in our daily lives that can impact it negatively, so it is important to practice self-care.

This year, the Mental Health Foundation is focusing on the impact of exposure to conflict and crises through the news and media on mental health. Whether you are directly or indirectly affected by events seen online, it can be difficult to cope, causing feelings of overwhelm or hopelessness. See Slide 2 for some tips on how to manage overwhelm and reach out to a mental health professional for guidance in processing these emotions.

Sources:
📘 Mental Health Foundation: World Mental Health Day 2025
📘 Mental Health Foundation: Overwhelm: when global events and relentless bad news become too much

🌱 core-chicago.com
🌱 Follow us for more mental health resources.
🌱 IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone. Please see disclaimers in highlights.

Happy ADHD Awareness Month! Swipe to learn about ADHD and some of its different presentations from CORE’s own Dr. Oscar ...
10/03/2025

Happy ADHD Awareness Month! Swipe to learn about ADHD and some of its different presentations from CORE’s own Dr. Oscar Anderson, Psy.D.

If you are interested in being evaluated for ADHD, CORE offers psychological testing services at both our Downtown Chicago and Evanston locations. Reach out today to schedule an intake!

🌱 core-chicago.com
🌱 Follow us for more mental health resources.
🌱 IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone. Please see disclaimers in highlights.

We love our partnership with the University of Chicago Student Wellness Center! Some of our team had a blast networking ...
09/10/2025

We love our partnership with the University of Chicago Student Wellness Center! Some of our team had a blast networking with the staff at U of C today and discussing ways to best support the students.

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day - a day committed to awareness and action to prevent su***de.The best way to help ...
09/10/2025

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day - a day committed to awareness and action to prevent su***de.

The best way to help someone who is struggling with mental health is to listen to their experience, acknowledge their pain, and support them in finding help. You never know when a word of encouragement or a listening ear may help save someone’s life - even a stranger’s.

If you are struggling today with thoughts of self-harm, we recognize your pain and encourage you to seek help using the resources available to you. We want to remind you that pain is temporary and that it is okay to need and ask for help. You are never alone.

🌱 core-chicago.com
🌱 Follow us for more mental health resources.
🌱 IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone. Please see disclaimers in highlights.

***deprevention ***depreventionday ***deawarenessmonth

Had a great didactic meeting this morning discussing Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)! We love when all of our staff an...
09/05/2025

Had a great didactic meeting this morning discussing Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)! We love when all of our staff and students are able to gather in one place and learn from one another ☺️ Happy Friday!

Meet our new ALMFT, Amara Smith Speights! Amara is accepting clients virtually and in-person at our Evanston location. R...
09/03/2025

Meet our new ALMFT, Amara Smith Speights! Amara is accepting clients virtually and in-person at our Evanston location. Read Amara’s bio below to learn more about her, and reach out to us to inquire about scheduling!

Amara Smith Speights is an Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (ALMFT) in the state of Illinois. She received her master’s degree in Child, Youth, and Family Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she specialized in marriage and family therapy. She also received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Ethnic Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Amara takes a trauma-informed and collaborative approach to therapy, helping individuals, couples, and families feel empowered and in control of their journey. She values cultural humility, s*x positivity, and inclusivity to cultivate an environment where clients feel comfortable expressing and embracing their authentic selves. Amara supports clients in identifying and deconstructing harmful narratives that have been created in relation to their racial/ethnic idenities, s*xuality, gender, and other lived experiences. She applies evidence-based approaches like Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems, the Gottman Method, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy in her practice.

Amara’s work also integrates Dr. Helen Neville’s concept of joy as a form of resistance to the hardships, oppression, and identity-based wounds that clients may be facing. With this, Amara works alongside clients to discover the spaces, people, and activities that can bring joy and deep healing into their lives. 
Outside of therapy, Amara enjoys bowling competitively, traveling the world, trying new restaurants, and going for walks around the city.

“Rarely if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” - bell hooks

🌱Learn more at core-chicago.com/amara-smith-speights

Meet our new Psy.D. & LCPC, Dr. BJ Rudd! Dr. Rudd is accepting clients virtually and in-person at our Evanston location....
09/02/2025

Meet our new Psy.D. & LCPC, Dr. BJ Rudd! Dr. Rudd is accepting clients virtually and in-person at our Evanston location. Read Dr. Rudd’s bio below to learn more about him, and reach out to us to inquire about scheduling!

Dr. Rudd is a postdoctoral fellow at CORE. He earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from Roosevelt University, his Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology, from Greenville University. Additionally, Dr. Rudd is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois.

Dr. Rudd has clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings, including private practice, community mental health, college counseling, and the emergency department of a hospital. In these environments, he has provided crisis intervention, psychological assessment, and individual, family, and group therapy. His work has often centered on supporting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC populations, with a strong emphasis on creating spaces where individuals feel safe, affirmed, and able to show up as their most authentic selves.

Dr. Rudd believes that in order to truly understand an individual, it is essential to consider the systems in which they live and the impact these structures have on well-being and mental health. Drawing from Relational-Cultural Theory, he views meaningful connections and a sense of belonging as gateways to self-understanding and personal growth. His style of therapy is warm and intentional, and he enjoys incorporating humor into his work with clients to help them feel at ease, build trust, and engage openly in the therapeutic relationship. His clinical interests include life transitions, relationships, trauma, perfectionism, self-acceptance, self-expression, grief, social justice, and concerns unique to gender- and s*xually minoritized communities.

Central to his work is a passion for the decolonization of mental health, advocating for approaches that honor cultural knowledge, lived experience, and community-based healing.

🌱Learn more at core-chicago.com/bj-rudd

In honor of National Grief Awareness day, we want to recognize the various forms and stages of grief that one can experi...
08/30/2025

In honor of National Grief Awareness day, we want to recognize the various forms and stages of grief that one can experience. Though commonly associated with death, you may experience the grieving process in relation to many different events or changes, such as loss of a loved one, job loss, divorce, illness, moving homes, and more. Different people experience grief and process these emotions in different ways.

The 5 most common stages of grief are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Though this may seem like a straight path to healing, grieving is complex - it is not linear and neither are these stages. Rather, these stages reflect the various ways people may cope with and express their grief as they move through it. Each stage can look different for everyone and you may not experience each of them, or you may return to one over time as you continue to process the event. What is most important is caring for oneself during the grieving period and accepting (or giving) support when needed. Recognizing and feeling the different emotions that come with grief, even when uncomfortable, allows for us to begin the journey to healing.

To those who are actively grieving today, we see you and we support you. Continue showing up for yourself - it will get easier.

🌱 core-chicago.com
🌱 Follow us for more mental health resources.
🌱 IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone. Please see disclaimers in highlights.

Address

30 N Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL
60602

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 7pm
Tuesday 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 10am - 7pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

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