Courtney Schwabauer

LSW

She | Her | Hers

Depression | Anxiety | Life Transitions | Trauma | Gender | Sexuality

My Background

My name is Courtney Schwabauer, and I am a Licensed Social Worker (LSW). I have been working in outpatient practice in Chicago since February 2021 after completing my master’s in social work at the University of Michigan. I developed a passion for mental health early in life through my own experience with anxiety, and I knew very quickly that I wanted to become a therapist. I chose social work as the field to do that because I believe very deeply in the social work values of dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, and dedication to social justice. I feel honored to support my clients as they work toward building the lives they want to live.

As an LSW, I work with adults across the lifespan who are interested in exploring and better understanding themselves in relation to their environments and experiences. I have supported clients around managing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. I also have experience supporting clients around exploring their gender and sexual identities, managing chronic health issues, working through body image concerns, processing grief and loss, addressing interpersonal and romantic relationship issues, and navigating life transitions such as pregnancy and career changes. My goal as a therapist is to provide a supportive, compassionate environment for my clients to process their emotions and experiences and engage in meaningful introspection.

One of my top priorities when I begin working with a client is establishing a collaborative therapeutic relationship where the client feels heard, understood, and unconditionally accepted. I treat
each client as the expert on their own lives and experiences, and I tailor my approach to each individual client based on their feedback about what is most useful. I offer an empathetic environment that will help you gain new insights and perspectives, reflect on strengths that already exist within you, and encourage you to grow. I value authenticity, curiosity, and humor, and I bring all of those to the therapeutic space.

A fun fact about me: I love fiction, and my favorite way to get caught up in a story is to sit in a comfy chair for hours of uninterrupted reading time!