Offering Hope, Professional Guidance and Support for Individuals and Families

As we move through the seasons of our lives, we experience struggles and challenges. Dr. Margot Gay Mahan & Associates offers renewed hope, professional guidance and support for individuals and families during life’s challenges. We are here to assist you and guide you as you grow, helping you and your family to realize your full potential.

We are committed to helping our clients and families recover from life’s unexpected stressors and reestablish their sense of well-being. We accomplish this by:

• Creating a community of talented, diverse, caring and committed professionals who are invested in promoting the balance between individual needs and family needs.
• Considering the developmental processes and life transitions that children, adolescents, adults and families must navigate.
• Striving to create a new balance within a couple or family while strengthening the individual.
• Attending to the shifting needs of individuals and families.
• Creating an atmosphere where treatment providers work in unison.
• Establishing an environment where continuity of care is a priority and communication between treatment providers is the expectation.

Dr. Margot Gay Mahan & Associates is a professional, family-centered counseling, psychotherapy and assessment practice dedicated to the emotional health and well-being of children, adolescents and adults. We are a multidisciplinary practice that values collaboration, evidence-based treatment methods and offers a warm and welcoming environment.

Dr. Margot Gay Mahan, Clinical Psychologist

I believe our desire to enjoy healthy, satisfying relationships is primary. I work from a Developmental, Attachment, Relational perspective and frequently incorporate Trauma and Family Systems Models into my work. I have extensive experience with infants, children, families and adults. When working with children I strive to work collaboratively with all relevant members in the child’s life in order to understand and treat that child.

I have worked in the mental health field for over 25 years, and am trained as a Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist. I specialize in working with adults and children impacted by trauma, separation and loss, adults struggling with unsatisfying relationships and life transitions, as well as children and adults impacted by chronic illness, depression and anxiety.

Dr. Jonathan Weinberg, Clinical Psychologist

I bring an empathic, intuitive approach to my practice of adult psychotherapy, working with my clients to identify both their immediate and long-standing internal obstacles. My goal is to help each client reach a greater, more nuanced clarity about themselves, without oversimplification or rigid categorization. I incorporate perspectives and influences from Psychodynamic, Experiential and Existential schools of psychotherapy. I have been told that my warm and engaging yet thoughtful style helps clients to more fully and authentically experience their own emotional richness. I also have extensive experience and advanced training in working with adults who were sexually abused as children.

During my 30 years of practicing psychotherapy, I have helped clients to identify and overcome the internal obstacles that prevent them from enjoying life. For 17 years, I served as Director of the Adult Psychiatry Clinic at Cook County Hospital, where I supervised and trained over 150 doctoral clinical psychologists.

Dr. Sue Schmidt, Clinical Psychologist

To struggle in life is extremely normal. To suffer needlessly is unnecessary. As a therapist, I have the privilege of working with you during those difficult times. I can help you to better understand yourself, and ultimately learn how to function more effectively in your everyday life.

For over 25 years, I have tailored treatment to meet the specific mental health challenges for each stage of life. I began by graduating with honors from the Clinical Psychology program at DePaul University, specializing in Child and Adolescent Psychology, with an emphasis on family systems. Thereafter, my work focused on youth and families, including working with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services providing assessment and treatment. I continued my work by focusing on private practice, adding adults and couples. Since 1998, I have also incorporated work with the geriatric community.

Ms. Sandra Braine, LCSW, Clinical Social Work

My focus has been on working with women and their families from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. My treatment incorporates Feminist psychotherapy, Trauma Therapy, Interpersonal and Relational therapies, dream work and journal keeping. I have provided direct clinical services, clinical supervision and I am a professor at Dominican University in the Masters in Social Work program.

I have worked with pregnant/parenting girls and adolescent boys who have experienced trauma, separation and loss. I began mental health training in London, England, and returned to Chicago in 1984. I served as the director of Clinical Services/Counseling at ERIC House, Maryville Scott Nolan, Casa Imani, Westside Health Partnership and Chicago Child Care Society.

I have completed Advanced Psychotherapy Certification at University of Chicago and I am a candidate for certification in the Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training program (CAPPT) at the Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Our services include:

• Evidence-based Treatments
  • PCIT – Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
  • TF-CBT – Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • DBT – Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Long-term Treatment
• Short-term Solution-focused Treatment
• Psychological and Diagnostic Assessment
• Professional Consultation
• Clinical Consultation and Clinical Supervision
• Divorce Mediation
• Conflict Resolution and Mediation
• Collaborative Divorce (child specialist)

Special Services
In our effort to continually broaden our skills, we have recently added a Parent-Child Interaction Therapy room to our facility. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a treatment method for children between the ages of 2 and 6 years that includes their parents/caregivers. PCIT is evidence-based, which means that its effectiveness has been established by rigorous research. This treatment lasts for about 15 sessions and focuses on increasing warmth, enjoyment, attention, frustration-tolerance, anger-management and self-esteem, while reducing challenging, non-compliant and disruptive behaviors.

PCIT therapists directly coach parents through a one-way mirror by using a high-tech “bug in the ear” sound and video system. When parents have mastered the skills, and their children’s behaviors are within the normal range on standard measures, the treatment is completed. Not only do children show improvement with this treatment method, but parents show a marked reduction in parenting stress.

Links that may be helpful:

• pcit.org
• pcit.phhp.ufl.edu
• childwelfare.gov

Collaborative Practice
Collaborative Practice is a voluntary process created to assist people who have significant disagreements. Collaborative professionals work to reach a resolution without lawsuits or other court processes, such as custody battles. Collaborative Practice is a form of dispute resolution that may also include financial and mental health professionals to assist in working toward a well-informed agreement. This process preserves privacy and dignity while helping you to have an opportunity to reach an agreement that benefits both of you.

Follow this link for more information: collaborativepractice.com

Mediation
Mediation is often used when couples are considering divorce. There are many forms and applications of mediation.

Please follow this link for more information: ccrchicago.org

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
With TF-CBT, children and parents learn new skills to help process thoughts and feelings related to traumatic life events; manage and resolve distressing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to traumatic life events; and enhance safety, growth, parenting skills, and family communication.

This type of therapy has proved successful with children and adolescents (ages 3 to 18) who have significant emotional problems resulting from major trauma in their lives. TF-CBT typically lasts from 12 to 16 sessions. Over 80 percent of traumatized children who receive TF-CBT experience significant improvement.

Links that may be helpful:

• tfcbt.musc.edu
• nctsn.org
• socialworktoday.com

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