My name is Kandyce and I am a clinically licensed psychotherapist and board certified counselor in Chicago, IL. Many of the individuals and couples I work with find themselves caught in relationship patterns that leave them feeling anxious, disconnected, or emotionally overwhelmed. You may struggle with trusting others, fear abandonment, overanalyze interactions, have difficulty setting boundaries, or repeatedly find yourself in relationships that don't feel healthy or secure. Others come to therapy after experiencing childhood emotional neglect or unhealthy relationships, recognizing that these experiences continue to influence their emotional well-being and relationships today. I view these struggles through an attachment-based, trauma-informed lens. Early relationships shape the ways we experience ourselves, connect with others, and respond to closeness, conflict, and vulnerability. While these patterns often develop as adaptive responses to our early environments, they can persist into adulthood long after they are no longer serving us. Therapy provides an opportunity to understand these patterns with curiosity rather than judgment and to begin creating new ways of relating. My approach integrates attachment-based therapy with emotionally focused, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed principles. I also incorporate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to help clients build practical tools for managing intense emotions, improving communication, increasing mindfulness, and navigating relationships more effectively. Together, we will explore both your current concerns and the underlying relational experiences that have contributed to them. As we develop a deeper understanding of these patterns, we'll work to cultivate greater emotional awareness while developing concrete strategies to support meaningful change in your daily life. Whether you are experiencing relationship anxiety, navigating the aftermath of a toxic relationship, healing from childhood emotional neglect, or struggling with insecure attachment, therapy can provide a safe and collaborative space to make meaningful and lasting change. My goal is to help you develop a more secure relationship with yourself and with others. Through our work together, you can strengthen your sense of self-worth, establish healthier boundaries, reduce relationship anxiety, break longstanding relational patterns, and build relationships that feel more secure, authentic, and emotionally fulfilling.