Trauma and anxiety THERAPIST serving all of illinois
WHERE YOUR STORY GETS THE SPACE IT DESERVES.
lizzi tyrpak, Lcpc
Hi, I'm Lizzi!
Therapist, Human Doing the Work Too, and Coffee Enthusiast
I’ve always been deeply curious about people’s stories — what shapes them, the challenges they face, and how they navigate the world. That curiosity, combined with my own journey through pain and healing, is what led me to become a therapist.
I’ll never ask you to explore the deeper parts of your story without having done that work myself. It’s this shared humanity, the struggles and the strengths, the broken and the resilient, that makes therapy so meaningful to me.
Outside of the office, I’m usually trying to keep up with my kids, tinkering with new recipes (because I can never just follow what’s printed), working my way through one of the twelve books on my nightstand, or planning a camping trip somewhere quiet with loads of trees.
How I work
Real growth happens when you feel seen and valued, understand your story deeply, and have a solid toolbox to navigate life's challenges.
My approach is empathetic, down-to-earth, interactive, and collaborative. I believe therapy works best when it feels meaningful, purposeful, and engaging.
We Focus on Two Key Parts of HealingUnderstanding Your Story
We'll gain insight into how you show up in the world, where the pain points are, and what patterns keep showing up in your life. One of my therapeutic superpowers is helping you piece together your story—seeing the connections, making sense of the puzzle pieces, and finding clarity in the process. This is especially important in trauma therapy, where understanding how past experiences affect your present is crucial for healing.
Building Your Toolbox
You'll learn practical, evidence-based strategies to help you cope with anxiety, process trauma through EMDR therapy, build resilience, and move toward living in alignment with your values. This isn't just talking about problems—it's developing real skills you can use immediately.
As a teacher at heart, I make sure you understand not just what's happening in your mental and emotional world, but why your brain and nervous system respond the way they do. Understanding these connections builds insight, strengthens your sense of control, and makes the changes we work toward feel real, achievable, and grounded in your everyday life.
Therapy with me is…
Engaged and goal-oriented — we’re working toward something meaningful together.
Focused on root causes not just symptoms — understanding where your anxiety, trauma responses, or relationship patterns come from
Educational, fun, and empowering — you’ll learn about your brain, nervous system, and patterns in ways that actually make sense
Compassionate and real — both tears and laughter welcome
Therapy with me is not…
Me staring at you asking, “How does that make you feel?”
One-size-fits-all approaches that ignore your unique story
Boring, cold, or distant sessions where you feel disconnected
About short-term band-aid fixes that don’t address what’s really going on
who i work well with
People who are curious, capable, and ready to explore their inner world — you want to understand yourself, not just feel better temporarily
People who are willing to learn new strategies and put them into practice — therapy is a partnership, and you're ready to do the work between sessions
People who are able to do deep emotional work while appreciating lightness where possible — we'll tackle hard things and still bring a sense of humor along the way
Clients I specialize in supporting
-
High-functioning adults dealing with anxiety, burnout, or perfectionism who look successful on the outside but feel overwhelmed internally
-
Adults healing from trauma—both recent events and childhood experiences—who want to understand and shift their patterns
-
Early and mid-career professionals navigating major life transitions, relationship challenges, or identity questions
-
People who have tried therapy before but are looking for a more active, solution-focused approach with modalities like EMDR
The Therapeutic Approaches I Use
I integrate multiple evidence-based methods tailored to each client's unique needs.
-
My primary modality for trauma treatment. EMDR helps your brain and body process traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge. It's particularly effective for PTSD, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and past trauma affecting current relationships.
-
Learning to accept what you can't control while committing to actions aligned with your values. Especially helpful for anxiety, chronic stress, and life transitions.
-
Understanding how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected—and how to shift patterns that aren't serving you. Effective for anxiety, depression, and changing unhelpful thinking patterns.
-
Exploring and reshaping the stories you tell yourself about who you are and what you've been through. This helps you become the author of your own story rather than feeling defined by past experiences.
-
Working with the body's responses to stress and trauma, not just the mind. Trauma lives in the body, and somatic approaches help release stored tension and regulate your nervous system.
-
Understanding how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape your present relationships and behaviors.
-
Making sense of your nervous system's responses to stress, and learning practical ways to regulate for greater calm and safety.
-
Exploring how early relationships shape how you connect with others today, and working to develop more secure attachment patterns.
Education and Licensure
-
BA in Psychology, University of Michigan, 2008
MA in Mental Health Counseling, Oakland University, 2015
-
EMDR Training, EMDR Institute, 2017
Ongoing continuing education in trauma treatment, anxiety therapy, and evidence-based modalities
-
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor — Illinois
License No. 180.011740
So, why Willow and Ivy?
I’m a sucker for a good metaphor, so here’s the story behind Willow & Ivy.
Safety, Grounding, and Growth
Willow
Growing up, a neighbor had a willow tree in their yard, and it quickly became one of my favorite places. Near the center of the tree, with its branches and leaves draping down, I felt safe, grounded, and steady.
That’s what I want the therapy relationship to feel like: a space where you can unpack, gain clarity, and grow, then return to the world with renewed strength, confidence, and a clear sense of who you are.
The willow also represents resilience—it bends without breaking, adapts to storms, and continues growing. That's what we're building in therapy: your capacity to be rooted and resilient even when life doesn't slow down.
Tending To What Needs Attention
Ivy
Ivy is a unique plant with a dual nature: it’s beautiful and adds charm to a structure, but left untended, it can overgrow and strain what supports it.
To me, that mirrors mental health in our modern world. We might look put together on the outside, yet quietly struggle beneath the surface. This work is about tending to what needs attention and keeping yourself healthy, steady, and thriving — not just surviving.
Experiences from others like you
-
Lizzi is excellent at creating a safe place to explore feelings and triggers. Her passion for what she does sets her apart from every therapist I’ve ever had—she is always reading and researching to perfect her craft and find new ways of helping her clients individually. I’m forever grateful for that level of care and compassion.
-
Working with Lizzi was my first experience partnering with a therapist and it was an incredible match. I so appreciated her solutions-minded style and how she wove multiple approaches and tools into our sessions as needed. I am undoubtedly a healthier, softer, more grounded version of myself after our time together and I turn to so many of the tools she offered me on a near weekly basis. In short, working with Lizzi was absolutely life-changing!