Alyssa Watson, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Licensed in Illinois
Availability: In-person & virtual
Pronouns: She/Her
I identify as: Biracial
Populations served: Individuals, Couples & Families Ages 10+
Specialties: Adolescents, ADHD, anxiety, alcohol abuse, bipolar disorder, communication, conduct disorders, coping skills, depression, desire/libido, emerging adults, erectile difficulties, life transitions, men’s issues, oppositional defiant disorder, parenting challenges, polyamory/CNM, trauma/PTSD, relationship concerns, school issues, self-esteem, self-harm, suicidal ideation, substance abuse
"Don't let your mind bully your body."
— June Tomaso Wood
Specializing in Teens, Emerging Adults, and Family Systems
From the Pacific to the Lakefront, I relocated to Chicago after several years of clinical practice in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. I have a background in school-based counseling and intensive family intervention, offering a grounded, evidence-based space for individuals, couples, and families navigating life transitions, complex dynamics, or challenges related to child and adolescent development.
Each session is tailored to your specific needs and goals. Therapy is a collaborative process where your goals, strengths, and lived experience guide the work. My role is to support you in building insight, developing practical skills, and applying those strengths across different areas of your life. I prioritize creating a nonjudgmental environment where you feel respected, understood, and supported. My approach integrates trauma-informed and solution-focused frameworks, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Functional Family Therapy (FFT), strength-based practices, and mindfulness-based strategies.
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Under the clinical supervision of Stephanie Franzoni, LCPC, CST, I support individuals and couples as they navigate challenges with sexual functioning, intimacy, and desire discrepancies. To further my expertise in these delicate areas, I am currently pursuing my certification as a Sex Therapy Informed Professional.
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My clinical approach to couples therapy begins with a joint initial consultation, followed by individual sessions with each partner to gather a comprehensive personal history.
During these individual meetings, we will explore your family of origin, early influences on sex and sexuality, and your developmental history regarding communication and conflict. This deep dive allows us to identify the specific survival mechanisms and behavioral patterns you each bring to the relationship.
Once this foundation is established, all subsequent sessions are conducted together. In our follow-up meeting, I will share my clinical feedback regarding your relational cycle and, using a vulnerability cycle framework, illustrate how your individual strategies and sensitivities interact to create your current dynamics.
Our ultimate goal is to establish clear treatment objectives that interrupt these cycles, enhance communication, and build healthy coping mechanisms, allowing you to reduce distress and reconnect as a team.
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Outside of my clinical work, I value balance and connection. I enjoy training in martial arts, snowboarding, spending time outdoors, and being with friends. At home, I unwind with my three cats, which helps me stay grounded and present in both my personal and professional life.
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My clinical training includes a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Syracuse University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Indiana University. I have worked as an FFT Therapist and Case Manager with Parents and Children Together (PACT), collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to provide intensive family-based interventions.
My experience also includes school-based counseling with the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii and work in a residential care setting supporting youth in critical environments. This range of experience allows me to bring both structure and flexibility to the therapeutic process, meeting clients with steadiness during challenging and complex seasons.
Functional Family Therapy
About FFT therapy and how it has changed how I practice therapy:
In my previous work, I worked as a Functional Family Therapy (FFT) Therapist, serving high-risk families in Hawai’i.
What is Functional Family Therapy?
FFT is a short-term therapy lasting three to six months. It is made up of three phases:
Motivation
Behavior Change
Generalization
Motivation phase is all about getting to know the family, exploring what is working well for them and what is not. Behavior Change is where the clinician teaches personalized skills to the family. Generalization is designed to prepare the family for discharge and prevent future relapses in behavior. FFT’s theoretical model is built on systems theory, cognitive-behavioral models, relational functions and attachment theory. It is person-centered, trauma informed, and strengths based.
What makes my therapeutic approach different when working with families?
I ensure that I learn about you and your family fully prior to teaching skills. By knowing your family’s strengths, behavior patterns, and attachment styles, I can better provide skills that actually work rather than sharing ideas that you’ve already tried countless times with no success. My goal is not to change any one individual in the family but rather explore how you all can function more cohesively together. I take a strengths-based approach by taking what is working well and help mold that and apply it onto other areas of your life.
My experience with FFT has provided me the opportunity to gain extensive experience working with families living with behavioral challenges, depression, self-harm, suicidality, truancy, and aggression through a family lens. No particular individual is my client, but rather the family as a whole.