Maria "Patti" Lorenzo, LCPC - Therapist in Illinois

Anxiety and stress
Life transitions
Practical skills

About Maria

Maria "Patti" Lorenzo is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 12 years of experience. She focuses on anxiety, stress, grief, self-esteem, and trauma-related concerns, and lists social anxiety and phobia among her areas of interest. Patti often helps people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or burned out and who want clearer ways to respond to difficult feelings.

Patti describes therapy as a collaborative effort. She works with clients to notice unhelpful patterns, shift harsh self-talk, and build practical habits for daily life. Sessions tend to be direct but gentle, with room for honest reflection and steady feedback.

Her work draws on methods that encourage both thought and behavior change. She uses techniques to identify thinking patterns and teaches skills to manage intense emotions. The goal in sessions is to develop concrete, repeatable responses rather than rely on motivation alone.

Patti has particular experience supporting women during life transitions, including burnout, identity shifts, and menopause-related emotional changes. She also addresses relationship strain, intimacy-related issues, career stress, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and caregiving stress. Clients often bring long-standing habits such as people-pleasing or overthinking.

In practice she blends evidence-based strategies with a focus on practical steps. Conversations aim to increase awareness and create small, manageable experiments individuals can try between sessions. International clients may be supported and sessions are carried out in English.

How Patti uses therapeutic approaches in online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without being driven by them. It focuses on values and small actions that move someone toward what matters despite discomfort. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing them with experiments and behavior changes to reduce anxiety and improve problem solving. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches specific skills for regulating emotions, tolerating distress, and improving interpersonal effectiveness when emotions feel overwhelming.

Choosing an approach is a collaborative part of the work. Patti will discuss your goals, try approaches that match those goals, and adjust methods based on what helps. Clients and the therapist decide together which skills or strategies to emphasize and how to pace progress.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm the current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten a check-in when time is tight, and allow someone to connect without a commute. It also makes regular practice of skills between sessions more practical for many people. Connect with the matching questionnaire to see how sessions might fit your schedule and needs.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Trauma and abuse Self esteem Coping with life changesCoaching

Also works with

Stress, Anxiety Grief Intimacy-related issuesCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommunication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivity Infidelity Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Men's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disorders Multicultural concerns Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discrimination Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryVisually impairedWomen's issues Workplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Jungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

12+ years

Listed in

Illinois

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she help with?

Patti works with anxiety, stress, grief, low self-esteem, trauma and related issues such as burnout and relationship strain.

What is her therapeutic style like?

She describes her style as practical and collaborative, combining reflection with gentle accountability and concrete steps to try between sessions.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 12 years of clinical experience as a licensed clinician in Illinois.

What is her credential and where does she practice?

She is an Illinois LCPC and lists Illinois as her practice location.

Which languages and international clients are supported?

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.

What session formats are available?

Please confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered for your situation.

How are costs handled?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I get started?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.