Speakeasy Therapy

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United States
Park Ridge, IL
Speakeasy Therapy

Personalized support, expert care and a neutral safe space for your mental health care.

Life can often be difficult and hard to navigate, but I believe that we all have the strength and resilience to grow and change, and live a more fulfilling life.

03/18/2026

If mealtimes feel like a power struggle, you’re not alone.

Many picky eating challenges aren’t about behavior, they’re connected to sensory processing, feeding development, and a child’s nervous system. Our upcoming parent group is designed to help you better understand what’s happening and how to support your child with confidence.

Meet Your Group Leaders

✨ Christina Munro, LCSW – therapist at Speakeasy Therapy who supports children and families navigating picky eating, anxiety, ADHD, and neurodiversity.

✨ Maggie Moeller, OTD, OTR/L – pediatric occupational therapist at M Street Pediatric Therapy specializing in early childhood development, sensory processing, and feeding challenges.

What Will Parents Learn?

Feeding is about so much more than taste. In this group, parents will learn how the eight sensory systems influence how children experience food, including texture, smell, movement, and body awareness.

We’ll explore how oral motor and feeding skills impact a child’s ability to chew, swallow, and try new foods.

Parents will also leave with practical tools they can use right away, including:
• messy play activities that build comfort with textures
• pretend play ideas that reduce pressure around food
• strategies to decrease power struggles at the table
• ways to gently expand foods without forcing or shame

Our goal is to help parents better understand why picky eating happens and how to support their child with curiosity, connection, and confidence.

Register by DM or e-mail info@speakeasytherapyco.com

03/16/2026

Yesterday: biking through the forest thinking spring had arrived.
Today: snow… and my first 6 AM yoga class of the year.

Change doesn’t always follow our plans.

But if we keep showing up, the season still moves forward.

Spring is on its way.

03/12/2026

Did your kids finally start sleeping… but you didn’t?

Many women assume lingering sleep struggles are still postpartum, but for those who had children in their 30s or early 40s, sleep changes can also be one of the first signs of perimenopause.

During National Sleep Awareness Week (March 8–14) we’re talking about the hormonal stages that impact women’s sleep.

We just published a blog explaining the difference between:

🌙 Postpartum sleep disruption
🌙 Perimenopause sleep changes
🌙 Why so many women confuse the two

Read the full blog at Speakeasy Therapy.

⚠️ Educational content only - not medical advice.

02/25/2026

Every body belongs. 🤍

Eating disorders and disordered eating don’t have one look, one age, or one story. At Speakeasy, we support healing across the lifespan. From picky eating and ARFID in kids to postpartum body changes and midlife identity shifts.

✨ Picky Eating Group (starts Friday)
✨ Menopause Book Club (next Tuesday)

Two spaces. One message: your body is not the problem.

Reach out for details or to join us.

02/19/2026

Mealtimes shouldn’t feel like a daily battle. 💛

This spring, Speakeasy Therapy is hosting a virtual Feeding + Eating Parent Group led by Christina Munro, LCSW, with special guest experts including an OT, SLP, and pediatric dietitian.

🗓 Friday’s | 11:00am–12:30pm
💻 Virtual
💵 $40 per family

Session Topics:
✨ Feb 27: “You’re So Picky” (Eating spectrum + CBT-AR intro)
✨ Mar 27: Sensory + motor skills (Guest OT)
✨ April 3: Communication + supporting food acceptance (Guest SLP)
✨ April 17: Nutrition reassurance + treatment pathways (Guest Pediatric RD)

To register: info@speakeasytherapyco.com

02/17/2026

Eating disorders don’t have one look and ARFID is one of the most misunderstood.

Most people think of anorexia or bulimia: extreme thinness, body image concerns, and compensatory behaviors. But Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) looks very different. It isn’t about weight or body image, it’s about anxiety, sensory sensitivities, fear of adverse reactions, or a low appetite that leads to food avoidance. ARFID can affect people of any age, gender, or body size and can cause real nutritional, medical, and emotional challenges if left untreated.

Treatment approaches like CBT-AR and a collaborative, multidisciplinary team can make real progress. And understanding makes early help more accessible. ARFID is not “just picky eating” - it’s real, serious, and deserving of evidence-based care and compassion.

Speakeasy Therapy is here to help. Christina Munro - our feeding & eating disorder specialist - is running a parent group focused on Picky Eating, Pediatric Feeding Disorder, and ARFID beginning late February 2026.

📩 Reach out: info@speakeasytherapyco.com to learn more

02/11/2026

We heard you!

Meeting 5 times is tough and I truly appreciate the interest that’s been there.

So we’ve consolidated the content into 4 key points and expanded it into one connected 2-hour event.

We’ll be using The Magnificent Midlife to guide an informative, motivating discussion on perimenopause with space for connection, reflection, and real-life takeaways.

✨ Save the date: March 3 ✨

Message me here or email info@speakeasytherapyco.com to stay informed.

And stay tuned an annual perimenopause event is coming soon!
Be on the lookout as Erika Darbro and I work out the details.

02/06/2026

Elia joined Speakeasy Therapy this past Fall and has been such a meaningful addition to our team. She brings a rare blend of warmth, clinical depth, and real-life understanding and we’re genuinely grateful she chose to bring her work to Speakeasy.

Elia has extensive experience supporting clients in both higher levels of care and private practice, which means she is skilled at working with everything from day-to-day overwhelm to more complex, high-impact clinical concerns. She brings steadiness, compassion, and strong clinical judgment.

Elia has a special interest in working with addiction and recovery, and she approaches this work with clarity, compassion, and zero shame. She understands how often substance use connects to stress, nervous system overwhelm, trauma, and disconnection and she helps clients build sustainable tools for healing, not just “white-knuckling” through change.

She also has a strong passion for perinatal mental health, and as a mom herself, she brings an added layer of empathy and understanding to the realities of pregnancy, postpartum, identity shifts, and the emotional load so many parents carry quietly.

Elia is also continuing to grow her expertise in trauma work and is currently completing her EMDR training, which we are incredibly excited about. Her dedication to learning, her thoughtfulness with clients, and her commitment to meaningful healing make her an invaluable part of our practice.

We truly couldn’t feel luckier to have Elia on our team and we’re especially grateful she chose Speakeasy after spending the past few years focused on raising her little ones. Her return to this work has been such a gift.

Elia currently has availability, and we encourage you to reach out if you’ve been looking for grounded, compassionate support.

02/02/2026

Lately, I’ve been feeling a little drained and I have a feeling I’m not alone this Monday morning.

Between the Hunger Games of summer camp registration, the groundhog seeing his shadow (hello, six more weeks of winter), and the cutest 100-day dress-up at school (silver-sprayed hands and all)… it makes complete sense why my neighbor delivered Girl Scout cookies to me this weekend. 🍪

Jokes aside, if today feels like a lot, it’s not too late to reset.

Pause for a moment.
Put your feet on the floor.
Let your body catch up to you.

A few body-based resets you can try right now:
• Take one slow breath in through your nose, longer exhale out your mouth
• Wrap your arms around yourself and give a gentle squeeze
• Hum or sigh out loud - let the vibration soothe your system
• Gently sway or rock side to side for 20–30 seconds

And a gentle reframe I keep coming back to:

You don’t need to be more productive, more patient, or more “together” today.
You’re allowed to be human and caring.
Regulated enough is enough.

If today feels heavy, let it be a day of soft edges, lower expectations, and a little extra compassion for yourself and everyone else doing their best.

01/28/2026

Hi, I’m Melissa - founder and therapist behind Speakeasy Therapy.

Three years ago, I set out to create a practice grounded in compassion, curiosity, and tools that truly translate to everyday life.

Today, Speakeasy Therapy is a growing community shaped by connection and authenticity.

Grateful for every step, every conversation, and everyone who’s been part of the journey.

01/26/2026

“What if I hurt my baby?”

If that thought stopped you in your tracks - please know this:
intrusive thoughts after birth do not mean you want to cause harm.

Postpartum OCD is a real, common, and treatable condition that affects many new parents and it’s talked about far too little.

Our newest blog explores what PP-OCD looks like, how it differs from postpartum psychosis, and how therapy can help you reclaim peace and connection.

🔗 Link in bio

You’re not alone.

01/23/2026

Meet Michelle

Michelle joined Speakeasy Therapy this past Fall and has been a tremendous addition to our team. As an LCSW with over 7 years of experience, Michelle provides thoughtful, steady, and highly skilled support, including much-needed evening availability.

By day, Michelle works at Northwestern Medical Group, where she supports older adults navigating grief, caregiver burnout, depression, chronic illness, and major life transitions. This work gives her a deep, real-world understanding of how mental health concerns show up and shift across the lifespan: how early patterns of anxiety, responsibility, perfectionism, or avoidance can resurface later as burnout, loss, or identity changes.

This lens strongly informs her individual therapy work. Michelle helps clients not only address what’s happening now, but also understand how their experiences fit into a broader life narrative. Whether she’s working with young adults, parents, or individuals later in life, she brings a grounded, integrative perspective that connects past, present, and future - supporting meaningful, sustainable change rather than short-term symptom relief.

Michelle also has a special interest and expertise in working with OCD, and has become a valued resource within our practice for differential diagnosis. She brings clarity to the often-misunderstood differences between OCD and other anxiety disorders, helping clients receive more accurate, effective care.

We feel genuinely lucky to have Michelle on our team and honestly wish we had even more of her time.

She currently has one of her last virtual evening openings on Wednesday night. If you’ve been looking for experienced, thoughtful support during evening hours, we encourage you to reach out.

Address

222 S Prospect Avenue, Floor 3
Park Ridge, IL
60068

Telephone

+18473795477

Website

http://www.speakeasytherapyco.com/

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