ABOUT MARY BEST, COUNSELOR FOR ADULTS, COUPLES AND FAMILIES

Welcome to my website. My name is Mary Best, and I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in private practice in Evanston for over 2 decades. My clinical work emphasizes the whole person by integrating the Neuro-biological, Psychological, Social and Spiritual aspects of life. My manner is warm and welcoming, as I believe that it is important for the client and therapist to have a strong connection during any individual or relationship counseling sessions.

My mission is to create a nurturing environment that utilizes traditional therapies with Mindfulness Based Therapy (MBT). I customize my approach by meeting my clients where they are — helping them feel seen, heard and understood. This fosters a safe place for them to explore their issues in individual, family, or couples counseling and meet their personal objectives. I use an evidence-based, collaborative approach, believing each person comes to therapy doing the best he or she can, given what they know and what their life experience has been.

I believe the best outcomes from therapy come when the clients’ recognize the deep truth about their lives, understanding the power they have within themselves. Working collaboratively, we can explore this self-knowledge to help you see the meaning behind your patterns of behavior, belief systems and communication style.

I work with adults who may be struggling with problems of everyday life–difficulties in
relationships, depression, anxiety, unresolved issues from their family or past, trauma, loss and grief, parenting, child and elder care concerns. For instance, being suddenly single after the end of a relationship can bring emotional upheaval, uncertainty and grief. I help the client adjust to these transitions and using mindfulness-based techniques and cognitive strategies, I enable my clients to live more fully and effectively in the present.

Couples often come to my practice for relationship or marriage therapy feeling distant, arguing more, experiencing less intimacy and losing trust and hope for the relationship. I work with them to improve their relationship skills in the areas of communication, anger management, trust, and intimacy. I facilitate each partner’s ability to be able to identify and express their underlying needs while helping them listen and respond to each other in a nonjudgmental way. I offer practical steps to lead the couple towards a deeper connection.

Parents and children often find themselves struggling to meet the challenges that are a natural part of family life. It can be difficult to navigate the transitions, losses, changes and letting go’s that are unique to each family’s life cycle. Illness, death, divorce, single parenting and remarriage cause a shift in the family system, possibly creating communication and behavioral problems that can result in division and misunderstanding. I foster growth and healing between family members, helping them to develop new skills to not only survive, but thrive as individuals and collectively as a family.

My goal is to create a safe space where you can feel comfortable expressing your feelings, helping you to become aware of what you need in order to explore the challenges in your life and achieve the objectives you bring to therapy. We can work together to help you come to a place of awareness, acceptance and healing. I encourage you to contact me.