Audrey Gerdt, LCSW, LMSW-C

My goal as your therapist is to help you free yourself from anxiety, increase your self-confidence, and experience greater joy and fulfillment in your life. I specialize in general anxiety, health anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Examples of difficulties I treat: - GENERALIZED ANXIETY, which is when you worry and feel anxious about many different things in life. - HEALTH ANXIETY, which can show up as worries about bodily sensations or symptoms, worries about getting sick or being diagnosed with a medical condition, fears related to medical care, or high levels of distress related to a diagnosed condition. TINNITUS-related distress is one example of a specific health-related anxiety that I treat. I also treat fear of vomiting (EMETOPHOBIA). - OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD), which I treat with the gold standard, Exposure and Response Prevention, which I deliver with great sensitivity and compassion while teaching you to build trust in yourself. - SOCIAL ANXIETY, which is when you fear social situations in which you feel self-conscious or fearful of being rejected or judged negatively. - STRESS & BURNOUT, which is when the stress of day-to-day life has overwhelmed your ability to cope and you need help to connect with that which nourishes you and helps you thrive. - PANIC ATTACKS, which can cause you to feel constantly "on guard" against another attack. - TRAUMA-RELATED SYMPTOMS such as flashbacks and hypervigilance. I am an active therapist who not only listens and understands, but also teaches you techniques to more effectively manage your difficulties and achieve your goals. Mental health problems often start out as ways of coping. When something bad happens, you might worry about what else could go wrong. This could lead you to over-prepare, try to control outcomes, and avoid certain situations. Over time, you may lose your ability to relax and enjoy life. I can help you develop more effective skills, reclaim your life and connect with what bring you meaning and satisfaction. Please reach out for a free 15-minute consultation. I welcome clients of every ethnicity, cultural background, gender and sexual identity. I am LGBTQ+ affirming. I practice cultural humility. I have significant experience working with immigrants, most extensively with those from Latin America, and first-generation Americans. I provide in-person therapy at my office in downtown Oak Park, IL, just outside of Chicago.