Start Feeling Genuine Connection and Joy Without Fear

Do you remember a time when you didn’t feel responsible for other people’s emotions, have a fear of “being too much”,  or holding back feelings to avoid conflict? Maybe you’ve felt this way for as long as you can remember. Don’t you wish you had the tools to change that?

                 You’ve come to the right place.

Hi, I’m Robin, and I help women with relational wounds just like you: ones that have it within them to love themselves and have healthy and fulfilling relationships but just need the support to get there.

I help my clients find their inner strength and confidence in order to feel more peace, clarity and joy in their life and help them learn to trust their own intuition again after potential years of their nervous system’s alarm going off when attempting to connect with others. This can be due to unhealthy, emotionally neglectful or manipulative relationships in their past— this may be from parents, friends, partners or really anyone significant enough on their path to leave a lasting imprint. 

A lot of approaches to relationship and attachment trauma may over-focus on reframing thoughts, communication skills  and relying on insight alone.

How My Work May Feel Different

Many women come to me after trying traditional CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) or skills-focused therapy. While communication tools and coping strategies are helpful, they often don’t reach the deeper fear of abandonment, conflict, or emotional overwhelm that drives the pattern.

In our work,

We move at the pace of safety.
We pay attention to your nervous system.
We notice what happens between us in real time.

Because attachment wounds are relational — and healing them is relational, you won’t be reduced to a label. Instead, we’ll understand your patterns as intelligent adaptations that once protected you — and help you build new ones that support the life and relationships you want now.

My Approach: Attachment-Based, Somatic (body based), and Relational

With over four years of experience in post-adoption work, I’ve supported children and families navigating attachment disruptions, belonging wounds, and early relational trauma. That work taught me something foundational:

Anxiety is protective.
Disconnection once made sense.
And safety must be felt — not just understood.

I now bring that same depth of attachment-focused experience to my work with women experiencing relationship or attachment trauma. When we work together, therapy may include:

• Nervous system regulation and somatic grounding practices

• Trauma narrative work to gently process relational wounds

• Creative and expressive approaches such as online sandtray

• A strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as a space for repair and new relational experiences

Healing attachment trauma isn’t about fixing you. It’s about helping your body and mind learn that connection can feel safe.

For clients who are interested, I can also integrate Reiki (a spiritual but also somatic practice) as a way to support nervous system regulation and deepen self-connection. This is always optional and guided by your comfort and preferences.

My Guiding Principles

Honesty

Kind, direct, and grounded in care

I believe therapy should be a place where you can experience honesty that feels safe — not critical or overwhelming. That means I won’t just sit quietly or tell you what you want to hear. I will gently share what I’m noticing, reflect patterns that may be hard to see on your own, and be transparent about your growth as well as the areas that may still feel stuck.

At the same time, honesty in therapy should never feel harsh or shaming. My goal is to offer clarity with compassion — so you can better understand yourself without feeling judged. Many of the women I work with are already hard on themselves. You don’t need more criticism. You need honesty that helps you move forward.

Humor

Making space for lightness, even in hard places

Healing doesn’t have to be heavy all the time.

While we’ll take your experiences seriously, we can also make room for moments of lightness, warmth, and even laughter. Humor — when it feels natural and safe — can help release tension, build connection, and remind you that you’re more than the hardest parts of your story.

Many clients find that being able to laugh, even briefly, about something that once felt overwhelming creates space for new perspective and growth. It doesn’t minimize your pain — it helps you move through it.

Humility

You are the expert of your life

I don’t believe in a “know-it-all” approach to therapy.

While I bring training, experience, and a deep understanding of attachment, relationships, and emotional patterns, you bring something just as important — your lived experience. You are the expert on your life, your relationships, and your inner world.

My role is not to tell you who you are or what you should do. Instead, I work alongside you — asking questions, offering insight, and helping you make sense of your experiences in a way that feels true to you.

I approach our work with curiosity, openness, and respect. Because meaningful change doesn’t come from being told the answers — it comes from discovering them in a space where you feel supported, understood, and safe.

Education and Training

    Licensure and Certifications

    Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker– LCSW 149.021179

    Theraplay Level I certification

    Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide For Education and Therapy—TARGET (past certification)

    Relevant  Trainings

Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC)

Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)

Foundations of Somatic Therapy For Trauma

Treating Rejection Sensitive Clients

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Sandtray training through the Southern Sandtray Institute

Working With Neurodiverse Women

Education:

Master’s of Social Work (MSW)--Aurora University, Aurora. 

Bachelor’s of Arts Psychology/Religion--Greenville University, Greenville

Robin is a compassionate therapist who has a wealth of knowledge and experience. As her colleague, I have seen the significant role she’s played in her clients’ transformation and her dedication to her work. Robin is a skilled therapist who I can confidently recommend.

Katie Cekal LCSW