James Simmerer, MSW , LCSW

Greetings! My name is James Simmerer. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 43 years of experience doing therapy with Individuals, Couples, and Families. I am well-trained and experienced in using COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY (CBT), with clients, in CREATIVE ways along with Motivational Interviewing (MI), skills which are designed to enhance harmonious communication, understanding and trust in the therapist client relationship. In addition, I work with clients using many other diverse PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS. I am offering affordable and accessible quality professional therapy services either through an AFFORDABLE SLIDING SCALE FEE or INSURANCE COVERAGE (including Medicare) and EAPs through your EMPLOYER. I am offering FACE-TO-FACE therapy in offices located in GLEN ELLYN, Orland Park and FLOSSMOOR, Illinois along with VIDEO or PHONE THERAPY. Visit: jamessimmerer.com for DETAILS on my GROUP: Creating Your BEST Life as a Senior!-DAILY via ZOOM.

WHAT AM I LIKE AS A THERAPIST?

As a therapist, I do individual, family and couples' therapy and I see children, teenagers, adults and seniors. I act as a GUIDE, not an EXPERT, and I strive to understand clients from Their Perspective! I respect the right of clients to choose Their Own goals! I strive to REALLY LISTEN, CAREFULLY, to PROMOTE an ACCURATE UNDERSTANDING of what clients say and the UNDERLYING MEANING! I strive to AVOID MAKING ASSUMPTIONS about clients or JUDGING them, EVER! In therapy, I will learn a lot from what you share with me and this helps me to REALLY understand you and what you are going through. I will often ask clients “AM I GETTING THAT RIGHT” when I REFLECT on what clients share in therapy, as a way of making sure I am really "GETTING THEM! WHAT YOU SHARE IN THERAPY is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT because YOU are the expert on YOU and I NEED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU, FROM YOU! I will always strive to give you the right to be yourself and to make your own choices, when YOU are ready! I will do my BEST to understand you and I will welcome YOUR FEEDBACK because I recognize its VALUE! I will support you in your efforts to be the person you want to be and to have the life you want to live! I will work together with you to help you, and your significant others explore ways to change the things YOU, and they, want to change, including thoughts, feelings and behaviors you are not happy with. I will work with you to explore and discover ways to improve relationships that you would like to work better, for EVERYONE involved. I BELIEVE in your ability to help yourself-YOU CAN DO THIS and I am COMMITTED to helping you!

My favorite types of clients are NOT the worried well but they are the challenging ones, not the easy ones. I find it especially meaningful and gratifying to work with clients who are struggling and who could really use the help offered in therapy. Having had a good deal of therapy myself, I can really appreciate the determination that clients exhibit in PROOVING TO THEMSELES that they CAN succeed in reaching their most important therapy goals.

I understand and respect your right as a client, to choose the WAY that you receive psychotherapy services. YOU can best decide whether FACE-TO-FACE OFFICE-BASED or VIDEO CONFERENCING-BASED or PHONE THERAPY BEST MEETS YOUR CURRENT NEEDS. Clients can VARY the way they conduct their sessions and/or change this any time they wish. I am available to schedule therapy sessions with clients Mondays through Fridays AND WEEKENDS!

THERAPY GROUP: Creating Your BEST Life as a Senior!

I am offering this semi-structured group which focuses on ways that seniors (50+) can increase their Happiness and overall Life Satisfaction while dealing more Effectively with the Changes that accompany the AGING process! My 90-minute ZOOM (HIPPA compliant) group meets 7 days a week. Daily times to be determined. Participants will be encouraged to read and discuss therapeutic Aging-related topics from a highly recommended book written by esteemed authors Albert Ellis, Ph.D. and Emmett Velten, Ph.D. OPTIMAL AGING: Get Over Getting Older. Dec. 21, 1998, Open Court, ISBN-13978-0812693836. From Amazon book review-https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Dr-Albert-Ellis/dp/0812693833. Topics will include healthy self-attitudes, towards aging and ways to beat self-limiting and self-defeating behaviors. We CAN live our SENIOR lives more the way we REALLY want to! The group is VIRTUAL and runs DAILY (7 days per week!). COST for the group is $25 plus processing fees per 90-minute session. CREDIT and DEBIT CARDS ACCEPTED! For more DETAILS visit: jamessimmerer.com or call me (James Simmerer, LCSW), at: 630-890-1907.

Individuals, couples and families being seen virtually or in-person, wishing to pay out-of-pocket rather than by billing their insurance to cover the cost of services, payment can be made using cash, check, or Credit Cards, including FSA and HSA cards. If you are not interested in paying out-of-pocket, payment can be made by billing most insurance plans, (including Medicare).

Starting therapy may be one of the best decisions you will ever make! How long you stay in therapy and how often you schedule sessions and the length of time allotted for each session (minimum 1 hour), is entirely up to YOU! However, Insurance billed sessions are limited to One Hour and ONE SESSION PER DAY. To contact me to schedule a therapy session, or to discuss your needs for therapy, please feel free to contact me any time. Please refer to my CONTACT INFORMATION below. Thank you so very much for reviewing my listing!

Best Wishes for Your Happiness in Life,
JAMES SIMMERER, LCSW

Contact Information:
Cell Phone: 630-890-1907; Fax: 877-800-7091
email: jamessimmerer@yahoo.com
NEW 2023-2024 Website: jamessimmerer.com
Mailing address: 22 W 267 1st St.,
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137