Chris Edwards

My approach

I work to create an environment that actively welcomes all aspects a person brings to the therapy space. That includes our conscious and unconscious identities, and the relationships (or lack thereof) we have with others. It also includes our strengths and adaptive behaviors as well as our wounds and traumas.

Because our experiences (both good and bad) live in our bodies, I also operate from a trauma- and somatically-informed lens. This means that we’ll be mindful of and notice how recalling and retelling our experiences can bring those thoughts and feelings we had in those moments back up to the surface—whether we want them or not. By increasing both awareness and understanding of the mind-body connection, we will be able to identify different strategies for relating to unpleasant and painful emotions/feelings and to foster a greater sense of overall wellbeing.

Another important area I explore with clients is how we've internalized social pressures, power dynamics, and oppressions through our cultures and being part of society. That includes me! I also explore and challenge myself around how my experience of whiteness, my gender, my sexuality, and my neurodivergence affects our relationship and the therapy space we share together. Self-awareness and critical self-reflection are important tools for doing good therapy work, and creating a warm and welcoming space for everyone present.

So, this is all to say that in my therapy space, we’ll explore your day-to-day life, as well as diving deeper into different parts of your identity and life experiences. Sometimes that serves as a way to grow and to help heal the parts of you that have been wounded and traumatized. Other times it will mean figuring out how you want to handle problems that are up-front and urgent right now. It will always mean working together as a team to do work that feels meaningful and supportive to you.

Areas of focus

I work with clients across many identity categories, experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief, and trauma. I’m especially interested in working with people with marginalized identities, such as neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+ identities, and race.

I am also experienced with and interested in working with clients who practice kink and polyamory/consensual non-monogamy.

A little about me

I’m trained in two body-based, trauma-informed models that explore how the body and brain develop across the lifespan, how bodies respond to stress and traumas in different life stages, and strategies for navigating and healing from trauma in the present: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.

I have a Master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago, focusing on trauma-informed practices and systems-based approaches to therapy. I also previously attained a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

I’ve previously trained at Loyola University Chicago, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Texas at Austin. I’m also a member of the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) and Kink & Poly Aware Chicago Therapists (KPACT).

In my free time I like to take pictures of flowers, birds, and other nature scenery. I love seeing people’s pets, so feel free to bring your cat, dog, bird, lizard, etc. to our telehealth sessions!