“Overcoming difficulties leads to courage, self-respect, and knowing yourself.”
~ Alfred Adler
Paul J. Fitzgerald, PsyD, LCPC, NCC, CEAP
Hello!
Welcome to the website for my clinical psychology and counseling practice. I have been working in the mental health field since 1976 and have been a licensed mental health practitioner since 1995, providing employee assistance counseling and general psychotherapy.
COVID-19 ANNOUNCEMENT:
PLEASE NOTE:
Updated April 27, 2021: Due to the increased demand for mental health services, I am currently booked to the limits of my schedule. I am therefore putting people on a waiting list. Right now that is about four weeks. Please go ahead and contact me and I will try to get you in sooner if possible. These are all tele-health (virtual) sessions.
I will be scheduling sessions with patients ONLY using tele-health services until the COVID-19 spread has been better contained in Co0k and Du Page Counties, or until May 31, 2021 (whichever is later). Please check back periodically to see if this has changed.
I provide telehealth using the Simple Practice app which is secure, private, and HIPAA-compliant. Please click the “Tele-health Services” link in the site menu for more information and my consent to use tele-health services.
Optum’s Virtual Visits self-scheduling function may not be available for me Please call or e-mail to ask about available appointments.
ABOUT ME: Paul J. Fitzgerald, Psy.D.
Confidential Voice Mail Number: (312) 834-3491 (Voice, no text)
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
- Certified Employee Assistance Professional
- Master Addiction Counselor
I am a clinical psychologist, counselor, and psychotherapist with over 20 years experience working with adults, adolescents, children, couples and families. I have worked in the Employee Assistance field as a counselor and clinical director. Prior to my EAP work, I also worked in inpatient psychiatric services and community mental health.
I entered this field because I have long been intrigued by the ways we as human beings see the world, and how our perceptions of ourselves, others, and our world guide our behavior and mood.
I enjoy working with clients from all walks of life, and specialize in working with adults. I have experience working with professionals who are experiencing challenges due to substance use, relationship problems, work stress, and other issues. I have worked with laborers, tradespeople, financial services professionals, physicians, lawyers, university professors, researchers, and attorneys. I have extensive experience assisting individuals with substance use disorders through assessment and referral to treatment, monitoring, follow-up, and relapse prevention.
In my work, I make use of cognitive-behavioral and Adlerian principles to help clients understand and change the self-defeating patterns of thinking, behavior, and communication that may be contributing to their distress. I earned a certificate in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy from Adler School of Professional Psychology.
Both Adlerian and Cognitive-behavioral therapy emphasize encouragement and support, while helping people to be more aware of (and to change) their beliefs and perceptions about themselves, other people, the world, and life circumstances.
I am a faculty member and former Training Director at Adler University’s Chicago campus, where I have taught graduate-level courses in Adlerian psychology, theories of psychotherapy and cousneling, addiction counseling, Adlerian Parenting, the Adlerian Life Style Assessment technique, ethical issues, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and research methods. I have taught courses in Sport and Performance Psychology using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. I currently teach and supervise graduate students in the counseling and clinical psychology programs. Adler University (formerly Adler School of Professional Psychology) is where I received my Master’s and doctoral degrees.
I have two offices, in downtown Chicago (available weekdays in the afternoon and some mornings) and a part-time office in Hinsdale, on the Cook-DuPage County line (available Fridays and Saturday mornings).
Professional affiliations and activities:
- Certificate in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Adler University
- Certified Employee Assistance Professional (Employee Assistance Credentialing Commission)
- Master Addiction Counselor (NAADAC, The Certification Organization for Addiction Professionals)
- National Certified Counselor (National Board of Certified Counselors).
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Illinois)
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist (Illinois)
- President, 2018-2020, Northern Illinois Chapter, Employee Assistance Professionals Association
- Commissioner, 2017-2020, Employee Assistance Credentialing Commission
- Memberships:
- American Counseling Association
- Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors
- American Psychological Association
- Employee Assistance Professionals Association
- National Board of Certified Counselors
- NAADAC – The Certification Agency for Addiction Professionals
- Illinois Counseling Association
- Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association
- North American Society of Adlerian Psychology
- American Association of University Professors
Once you have scheduled an appointment with me, please fill out the following forms:
Application for Services and Consent for Services
If our sessions will be conducted by tele-health, please also read the page on Tele-Health Services and sign the consent at the bottom.
This website is also my blog, where I regularly post entries for viewing by anyone who has an interest in counseling, psychotherapy, or mental health. You can access these entries by clicking on any of the categories or monthly archives lists (at the bottom of the page), or by simply clicking the “Blog” link in the main menu to view all recent entries. You can use the buttons on each blog page to share, save or print these articles if you wish. You can also leave comments on each post page.
Master Addiction Counselor – NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals
Employee Assistance Professionals Association