Blue Cross / Blue Shield (BCBS) Counseling, Psychotherapy, Social Workers, Psychologists, Psychiatrists in Chicago, Illinois

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Mark D. Parisi, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C. is an Illinois-licensed professional service corporation that has been providing quality behavioral healthcare for the entire family in Metro Chicago since 2000.  We have Blue Cross / Blue Shield (BCBS) counseling, psychotherapy, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists available in Chicago, Illinois.  We are a Blue Cross / Blue Shield (BCBS) preferred multi-specialty group practice that offers a unique array of services – all under one roof – including psychological testing, individual, couples, and family counseling, and psychiatric medication management.  We work with clients as young as three years old and work with other clients who are well into their retirement.  Our team of professionals includes Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, and Psychiatrists.  Our expertise is broad-based and includes expert diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders, depression and Bipolar Disorder, addictions, eating disorders, ADHD, Defiance in Children or Teenagers, and problems within relationships or within the family.  Our Blue Cross / Blue Shield (BCBS) counseling, psychotherapy, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists all utilize evidence-based treatment protocols and actively collaborate with your outside medical providers.  Our main office located in Des Plaines, Illinois – a near, Northwest suburb of Chicago – easily accessible to I-294 (Tristate Tollway) and Metra (Cumberland Metra Depot) with plenty of free, covered parking.  Our downtown Chicago office is located directly across from Millenium Park and is very convenient to the CTA.

For more information about Mark D. Parisi, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C. Blue Cross / Blue Shield (BCBS) counseling, psychotherapy, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists in Chicago, Illinois, please feel free to visit our website or call us directly at (847) 909-9858 for a free, no-obligation consultation or to set up an appointment.

Where Can I Find Help For Troubled, Out of Control Teens in Chicago, Illinois?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Are you a parent who is worried about your teenager who seems troubled or out of control?  Mark D. Parisi, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C. is an Illinois-licensed professional service corporation that specializes in offering help for troubled, out of control teens in Chicago, Illinois.  We provide integrated solutions for children and teenagers who are experiencing emotional or behavioral problems.  Our team of behavioral healthcare professionals includes child-specialized therapists, child psychologists, school social workers, and child-specialized nurse practitioners under direction of our psychiatrist.  We understand that in order to help teenagers who are troubled or out of control, it is essential to, first and foremost, understand what the core problem is.  We provide expert psychological and educational testing to assist in diagnostic clarification and treatment planning.  We are able to advocate for your teenager within school or work settings.  We help to set up school and home-based behavior modification plans.  We can recommend strategies to improve motivation within school and compliance with rules / expectations at home.  We are participating providers on most insurance panels including Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Illinois, United Healthcare, CIGNA, Aetna, and Humana.  We are also one of a select few practices in all of Metro Chicago that offers sliding scale fees for both counseling and psychiatric medication management. To learn more about how Mark D. Parisi, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C.’s innovative services can offer help for troubled, out of control teens in Chicago, Illinois, please visit our website or call us at (847) 909-9858 for a free, no-obligation consultation or to set an appointment.

Psychologist Jobs, Employment, Careers in Chicago, Illinois

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Mark D. Parisi, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C. is hiring Licensed Clinical Psychologists for employment opportunities in Chicago, Illinois.  Dr. Parisi & Associates, P.C. has been serving the behavioral healthcare needs of Metro Chicago since 2000 and is an industry leader in providing high quality behavioral healthcare in skilled nursing home settings.  We are recruiting psychologists for part-time to full-time careers.  Unlike many such jobs for psychologists in Metro Chicago, Dr. Parisi & Associates, P.C. offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance, paid malpractice coverage, yearly continuing education stipend, and paid vacation TO ITS PART-TIME ASSOCIATES AND FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.  As an associate, our psychologists earn $40-$70 per service hour starting salary.

To apply, you MUST possess an active, unrestricted license to practice as a Clinical Psychologist in the State of Illinois.  You SHOULD also have excellent oral and written communication skills AND have good, reliable transportation and a willingness to travel as part of the job.  Preference will be given to those psychologists with bilingual language skills (especially Spanish, Russian or Polish) and those with active Medicare provider numbers or experience working in skilled nursing facility settings.

To learn more about Dr. Parisi & Associates, P.C. employment opportunities for Licensed Clinical Psychologists in Chicago, Illinois, you are invited to visit our website’s Careers page by clicking on this LINK or contact Dr. Parisi directly with any questions or concerns at (847) 909-9858.

What is Neuropsychological Testing?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Neuropsychological testing involves the administration of standardized ability tests that help to identify changes in brain functioning that may result from various medical and neurological conditions.  The results of these neuropsychological tests are interpreted in conjunction with a thorough understanding of clients’ backgrounds and the unique behavioral and emotional issues the client might be having.

Neuropsychological testing can helps physicians and rehabilitation specialists answer the following questions:

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  • Is a client showing signs of dementia?  If so, what is the nature of the dementia and prognosis for recovery / treatment?
  • Does a client with medical conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, or other neurological condition(s) have any losses in mental abilities as a result of these medical conditions?  Are there areas of functioning that are not affected by the medical conditions – or that are areas of preserved strength?
  • Are clients’ claims of reduced mental functioning due to a brain-related condition, or to other factors, such as the effects of normal aging, increased cognitive (thinking) demands in daily life, or emotional issues such as depression, anxiety, etc.?
  • Are clients competent to make decisions for themselves given their current mental abilities and emotional / behavioral issues?
  • Have the passage or time or treatment interventions had an effect on clients’ mental abilities?
  • Has clients’ alcohol/drug/prescription medication usage had a detrimental effect on mental functioning?

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Neuropsychological testing typically addresses the practical implications of clients’ strengths and weaknesses as they relate to education, work, retraining, independent living, etc., treatment needs and implications of any cognitive deficits for treatment, and prognosis for change over time.

Neuropsychological testing typically can be completed from a couple of hours to within one day, depending on the client’s age and referral questions to be answered.  Neuropsychological testing measures client skills and abilities in the following areas:  attention and concentration, academic skills, learning and memory, sensory-perception (vision, hearing, sense of touch) and motor function (dexterity), language, spatial abilities, planning, organization, reasoning, and problem-solving, and emotional adjustment

What is a Neuropsychologist?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

A neuropsychologist is a doctoral-level psychologist who specializes in the study of brain-behavior relationships such as language, learning and memory, and higher level thinking (referred to as “cognition”).  The neuropsychologist spends about eight to ten years (college, graduate school, post-graduate training) learning how to evaluate and treat individuals who have sustained an injury to the brain, who develop a disease of the brain, or who have a developmental disorder that may have affected the brain since birth.

The neuropsychologist is different than a clinical psychologist who typically studies and treats behavioral and emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression.  Even though the neuropsychologist may do this as well, it is typically within the context of working with individuals who have neurologic disease (such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease) or brain injury (for instance, traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle accident).  The neuropsychologist is different than a neurologist in that a neurologist is a physician who treats the physical part of an illness or injury (e.g., headaches or seizures) and who oversee the medical aspects of their care (e.g., administration of medication, ordering diagnostic studies).

A client, family member, or most commonly, the treating physician seeks out the expert opinions of the neuropsychologist to help assess the basis of brain-based problems as well as its impact on physical and emotional functioning.  Neuropsychologists are occasionally credentialed through the American Board of Professional Psychology (or, ABPP) or the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (or, ABCN) which denotes that the psychologist has completed the most rigorous training and certification standards within the profession.  It is important to note, however, that neuropsychologists do not need to complete this certification in order to practice neuropsychology.

Coping With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD as it is commonly called, is classified as an Anxiety Disorder in which an individual experiences intense fear, helplessness, horror, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and/or distressing sensory experiences associated with a traumatic event(s) that were experienced previously. There are numerous types of events that can trigger symptoms of PTSD including exposure to war, torture, rape, child sexual assaults, terrorism, a major car accident, living with a fatal illness, a natural disaster, witnessing a death, finding someone dead, or being physically assaulted.  These are only some of the types of experiences that can trigger PTSD.

The common denominator in experiences that may trigger symptoms of PTSD is that they are believed to be beyond the scope of normal human experience and are, in some way, associated with intense fear, horror, or panic in the person who endured the traumatic event(s).

The symptoms of PTSD vary in severity.  Some of the more common symptoms include nightmares about the event, trouble sleeping, recurring distressing thoughts or images, intense psychological distress where memories of the event are triggered, sweating, muscle twitching and rapid heartbeat.  Some people will go through sprouts of unexplained anger or irritability and will be on alert for danger. Still others will have symptoms of guilt or feel a sense of “depersonalization” where they feel a sense of detachment from others – like they been tainted by the trauma and are no longer the same person they used to be before the traumatic experience.

Many people dealing with PTSD will seem fine on the outside and, instead, will bottle up their feelings or emotions. This type of reaction to traumatic experiences are often classified as an avoidance reaction and includes resorting to drug and alcohol use in an attempt to block out the painful memories, avoiding people and places, losing interest in activities that were previously enjoyable before the traumatic event(s), and being unable to feel joyous or loving feelings. Many sufferers will also feel detached from society and feel a sense of hopelessness.

PTSD is a treatable psychological disorder. There are ways, often through a combination of medication management and psychotherapy, to overcome the crippling effects of PTSD. Treatment often comes through working through the painful memories and, by improving coping skills and mental attitude in the present day, learning a new, healthier perspective on the person one has become. The key is to get professional help and not suffer alone.

What is Solution-Focused Couples Therapy?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Often times, couples seek professional counseling help far too late after having experienced years of tension and built-up resentment.  In order to avoid becoming a statistic in the nation’s soaring divorce rate, it is important to select a mental health professional who practices Solution-Focused Couples Counseling.

Solution-Focused Couples Counseling, as the name implies, is geared toward helping couples devise practical solutions for their problems focused on meeting each other’s needs. The primary assumption of Solution-Focused Couples Counseling is that relationships succeed or fail to the extent that couples meet each other’s needs and place their partner’s need on par with their own needs.

Solution-Focused Couples Counseling is a type of psychotherapy that is active, goal-driven, and focused on the here-and-now.  The central question posed by a mental health professional who practices this type of psychotherapy is “What would you be doing differently if you were doing a better job of meeting this particular need of your partner?”

There are a variety of exercises employed in the practice of Solution-Focused Couples Counseling.  One type of exercise has the couple come up with a list of what they perceive one another’s needs are. This allows for honest communication about needs and a chance to dispel misunderstandings.  Another exercise allows the couple to define specifically, in behavioral terms, what they can do to meet each other’s needs. Over the course of therapy, the couple reports back to the mental health professional how they are doing with trying out new sets of behaviors.  The emphasis is on having the couple offer each other positive feedback to try to build in more goodwill, encouragement, and engender optimism that the relationship can succeed.

Overcoming Relationship Problems

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Problems can strike at relationships any time. Whether the couple is celebrating many years together or just getting to know one another, there is no immunity to such issues.  How can you avoid having these problems strike your relationships? There are several things to keep in mind during any kind of relationship problem; a few of them are listed below.  Although each relationship is unique, these tips are universal.

  1. Communicate – sometimes when couples are experiencing problems related to their feelings for each other, they retreat into themselves rather than discussing their thoughts, feelings, concerns, and emotions. Unfortunately, this may make the problem worse.  By communicating with the one you love, you may find that the problems are resolved more easily than you had anticipated. You may find that the issues you thought were a major division between you and your partner was simply a misunderstanding that had gotten blown out of proportion.
  2. The Blame Game – relationship problems often turn into a never-ending round of the blame game in which each of you blame the other.  It is important to resist this game; it does not help solve your problems and often deepens the chasm between you.  Communicate, as emphasized above, rather than playing this game.
  3. Airing Dirty Laundry – for many couples, relationship problems lead to talking to family members and friends about intensely personal, relationship issues. This can be a huge mistake.  It is important to remember that this does not help solve your problems – and your gripes may make their way back to your partner and cause tremendous conflict and resentment.

Although you, like everyone else in the world, are susceptible to relationship problems, you can overcome them. (See here for more tips on how to heal your relationship.)

Just remember to communicate, avoid playing the blame game, and resist the temptation to air your dirty laundry in a way that may intensify conflict between you and your partner.

If you employ these simple tips – as well as heeding any other good relationship advice you may have heard from people you trust – you should find that your relationship problems are resolved.  Others may crop up in the future, but you will have the tools to handle them.

How Do I Select the Right Psychotherapist?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

The process of selecting a psychotherapist is very important.  A psychotherapist is someone who needs to be trusted, and the client must feel comfortable establishing a relationship with them. While selecting a psychotherapist is a very personal and individual process, there are several helpful guidelines that you can follow.

When selecting a psychotherapist, make sure to consider the type of license, qualifications, and specialities of that person.

While there are a specific set of criteria for licensing, some psychotherapists will choose to specialize in a particular area, such as marriage and family counseling or children and adolescents, and may be able to help provide you with alternative ideas that a general psychotherapist may not be as familiar with. Make sure you understand their approach to psychotherapy and how a typical session will run.

It is perfectly fine to interview several different psychotherapists. It is important to establish trust and a comfort level with your psychotherapist, so if you decide that this is not possible, it is best to look for a new psychotherapist, as both you and the psychotherapist will be wasting time, energy, and money. When interviewing a psychotherapist, it is important to know if communication will be easy or forced, and if you think that you will be able to build the foundation for a successful working relationship.

Selecting a psychotherapist can be a difficult, time-consuming task, but it is important to put forth the effort in order to find someone that will be able to provide you with proper, supportive help. While following up on recommendations is a good way to start the process, a face to face interview will be the best way to tell if you will be able to have a successful relationship with the psychotherapist. Do not be afraid to speak you mind, especially if there are certain traits that you are looking for in a psychotherapist. Finding what you want and need is the foundation for a successful, mutually beneficial relationship.

What is a Psychologist?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

A psychologist is a trained professional who studies the physical, cognitive, emotional and social aspects of behavior in order to provide mental healthcare to individuals. Most psychologists will work in clinics, schools, private practices and even hospitals. There are several different ways of getting sick; psychologists help break through emotional illnesses so people can reclaim their lives.

There are several different types of psychologists. It’s important to understand the difference between psychologists to determine what is the right fit for you.

Clinical psychologists are the most common. They usually work in private practices or clinics and help patients overcome illnesses both physical and emotional. This could include dealing with pain such as strokes, spinal cord injury, or dealing with a personal crisis such as death, divorce or abuse. Clinical psychologists are specially trained in diagnosing and treating mental illness. Clinical psychologists often have expertise in conducting psychological testing to evaluate school, job, or emotional problems.

Developmental psychologists are experts with child and adult development and how this process affects emotional well-being.

Counseling psychologists have expertise in psychotherapy and often work in private practice or clinics the same as clinical psychologists. Counseling psychologists are often found in academic or job placement settings where they function as guidance counselors.

There are also psychologists who specialize in workplace settings, who are classified as industrial organizational (or, I/O) psychologists. They improve work life including worker relations and productivity. They can also be hired as consultants to help improve the general structure of a company by conducting screenings, interviews and training sessions.

School psychologists are specially trained to provide evaluation and treatment as it pertains to the school settings. School psychologists are typically employed by school districts where their work is in high demand. They are experts in diagnosing and establishing academic plans of accommodation (known as “504 Plans”) for remediating learning disability.

Neuropsychologists work directly with the brain-behavior relationship. They study awareness, judgment, reasoning, learning and memory with extensive training in the brain function and spinal cord function.

It is important to understand that, in nearly all states, the title, “Psychologist,” is protected by state licensure laws. In order to be called a “Psychologist” a mental health professional must possess appropriate education, training, post-degree supervised experience, and have passed relevant state board examinations.