Providing compassionate therapy for all.
Transformative Therapy Awaits
When everything's changing at once, you need someone who gets it.
You Might Be Here Because...
Overwhelmed Parents
You're snapping at your kids over small things, then lying awake feeling terrible about it. You know they deserve better, but you're running on empty and don't know how to stop the cycle.
Everyone sees you holding it together, so they assume you're fine. But inside you're one crisis away from falling apart, and you can't remember the last time someone asked how YOU are doing.
Your kids need you. Your partner needs you. Your job needs you. Your aging parents need you. And somewhere in there, you’re supposed to take care of yourself too - but there’s literally no time left.
Young Adults Navigating Change
You thought you'd be over it by now. It's been months since the breakup, but you're still replaying conversations, checking their social media, and feeling stuck while everyone else seems to be moving on.
You’re an adult with your own life, but you still feel like a teenager when your parents weigh in on your choices. You want their approval but also want to make your own decisions. Plus, the guilt of needing their financial help makes it even messier.
You're smart and capable, but you keep missing deadlines, forgetting to respond to texts, and feeling like everyone else got a manual for adulting that you never received. The harder you try, the more you seem to mess up.
Adults with Medical Challenges
Your friends say, “Let me know if you need anything,” but you can’t keep asking for help. You’re exhausted from being the sick one, and you’re terrified they’ll eventually stop inviting you because you cancel so often.
Your body used to do what you asked it to do. Now simple tasks are hard or leave you exhausted, and you’re grieving the life you had while trying to figure out this new reality. No one talks about how lonely that feels.
You had plans - career goals, travel dreams, life milestones. Now you’re not sure what’s realistic anymore, and everyone’s well-meaning “stay positive” advice makes you feel more alone.
How I Can Help:
I create a space where you can stop performing “fine” and actually acknowledge how hard this is. You’re not broken, lazy, or failing. You’re dealing with genuinely overwhelming circumstances that would drain anyone.
Together we validate what you’re experiencing (no toxic positivity, no “just be grateful”), identify what’s most bothersome right now (not everything at once - that’s paralyzing), and work on one manageable chunk at a time. We build practical strategies that work with your real life, not some idealized version. We process the grief, guilt, and fear that come with major transitions, and figure out what actually matters versus what you’re forcing yourself to do.
I bring both professional expertise and personal experience. I know what it’s like when life doesn’t go according to plan and everything hits at once.
You don’t need another person telling you to try harder or manage your time better. You need someone who can help you live, not just survive.
About
My name is Joni Lamb
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience helping adults navigate life’s major transitions. My work has taken me from pediatric oncology at Lurie Children’s Hospital (where I spent 7 years supporting families through their child’s cancer diagnosis) to university counseling at Northwestern University, elementary and high schools, and now private practice.
I’ve navigated life’s curveballs as I raised my toddler while my father went through cancer treatment. That experience taught me firsthand what it’s like when everything hits at once: the guilt of never being enough for anyone, the exhaustion of managing medical systems while keeping regular life going, and the loneliness of being the person everyone leans on.
My pediatric oncology background means I understand medical trauma, complex healthcare systems, and how to help people cope when life doesn’t go according to plan. I know how to talk about the hard stuff - grief, fear, anger, guilt - without falling back on toxic positivity or empty reassurances.
My approach is straightforward and collaborative as we work together to identify what’s most urgent for you and build from there. I use a combination of therapy techniques from strengths-based, CBT, DBT, trauma-informed, self-compassion and solution-focused therapy approaches.
As a Midwesterner at heart, I’m not here to tell you to “practice self-care” or “set better boundaries” without actually helping you figure out how to do that in real life. I’m here to help you move from surviving to actually living again.
Education & Licensure:
Master’s of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2004
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 2006
Licensed in Illinois and Colorado
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