Daniel Shansky

My approach

Daily life can be a challenge for any number of reasons. Anxiety, depression, stress related t work, finances, or personal relationships, and traumatic life experiences are all common. Just glancing at the news or social media can sometimes tank your day. Maybe you feel down or on edge and don’t really know why.

Feeling like this can weigh a person down, prevent them from connecting with loved ones, and make it difficult to simply enjoy life. Every human being is complex, and so are the issues we face as we navigate through life.

I engage clients with non-judgment, compassion, and curiosity. Each of us has a fascinating story of who we are and how we got to this point in life, and I would love to hear yours! I work to treat symptoms of mental health challenges, while also creating space to explore the underlying reasons you feel the way you do. In other words, therapy can be more than just helping you feel less of the “negative” emotions; it can also be a path to understanding yourself more completely, so that you can return to a life you find truly authentic and fulfilling. I believe that every person has the innate wisdom and strength to overcome the obstacles they face and rediscover meaning, purpose, and joy in their life.

Areas of focus

I work with clients dealing with difficulties related to anxiety, depression, trauma, attention/focus, sleep, and chronic stress, as well as people navigating challenging relationships. I tailor my approach to the client’s individual needs, and often utilize a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), somatic and breathwork practices, and mindfulness.

I am a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) and I work with people in active addiction, as well as people who want to explore their relationship with alcohol or other drugs. I approach substance use from a non-judgmental, hard reduction perspective. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all template to recovery, I’m interested in learning what’s happening in a person’s life that may be causing them to use substances in a problematic way. For some people, total sobriety is the goal, and for others it may be simply gaining a better understanding of why they use substances and how it impacts their life.

I have completed part 1 training for EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a treatment proven effective for people struggling with the impacts of traumatic life experiences or complex trauma, as well as challenges with negative self-talk or self-image.

A little about me

Prior to becoming a therapist, I spent years as a representative and advocate for people striving for better working conditions, benefits, and compensation. Most recently, I worked with nurses in a large hospital as they fought through the pandemic to provide life-saving care to their patients, often while sacrificing their own physical and mental health. This experience highlighted to me the immense impact that job-related stress or a toxic work environment can have on a person’s wellbeing, and eventually led me into the mental health field.

When not working, I do my best to enjoy all the things that make Chicago such a great place to live—especially the food. You can usually find me at a corner restaurant, overly absorbed in a bowl of pho or a plate of tacos. On nice summer days, I love getting out into nature, and on cold winter days I am often sitting in front of the TV getting my heart broken by my favorite sports teams (we have our issues).