Posts by Sarah Suzuki, AM, LCSW, CADC

The Truth Beneath Labels

Conversations with a Wounded Healer with Sarah Buino and Christine Leone

Christine Leone Explores Systemic Racism on ‘Conversations with a Wounded Healer’ “What it takes to make these kinds of changes, it’s really just shaking the foundation and letting it fall apart.” – Christine Leone Dive into the compelling conversation on ‘Conversations with a Wounded Healer’ featuring our therapist, Christine Leone, as she delves into societal…

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Illinois Social Workers and Counselors: Our CE Renewal Bundle is Here!

Bundle and save 35% on three CE courses

If you’re a Social Worker or Professional Counselor in Illinois, 2023 is the license renewal year. And this year there are some new requirements. Specifically:  We’re here to help! Now for only $29, you can get all three of our CE courses plus access to our free (non-CE) sexual harassment prevention training for Chicago/Illinois.  What makes…

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The Horrible Holiday Hangover

While emotional hangovers are deeply uncomfortable, that discomfort contains powerful information. You can’t change what happened in December, but your mind, body, and spirit tell you that you need something different moving forward. Wisdom will reveal itself. But before you can get to the learning, you must deal with the exhaustion.

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How Does Midlife Crisis Affect Men and Families?

PsychCentral writer Jon Patrick Hatcher interviewed Sarah Suzuki on male midlife crisis (Check out the full interview here): Licensed Social Worker and owner of Chicago Compass Counseling Sarah Suzuki shares, “What I often hear from men is, ‘I’m already halfway dead, so what’s the point of going on?’ They feel as though their purpose is…

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An Interview with Clinical Director Alexandra Backis of Chicago Compass Counseling

Spotlight on Alexandra Backis, Therapist and Clinical Director in Chicago, IL What does anti-racist practice look like in psychotherapy? Today, we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Backis, LCSW. As Clinical Director, Alexandra draws on over a decade of experience incorporating anti-oppressive practice in her work as a therapist and supervisor in how she guides…

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Founder and Group Practice Owner Sarah Suzuki Explains How the “Mass Shooter Mental Illness Myth” Perpetuates White Supremacy

Check out Sarah Suzuki’s widely shared article on how psychological profiles of mass shooters perpetuate White Supremacy (You can find the full article here): “And so, already — the media is pushing the false story that the Atlanta-area perpetrator was driven by “mental illness” — not racism. (See Reuters, Sex addiction, not racial hatred, may…

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Is My Pandemic Drinking Becoming a Problem?

October is National Emotional Wellness Month. As an alcohol counselor, I have to ask: how is your drinking these days? American adults are drinking 14% more often during the pandemic than 1 year ago, according to a recent report in the JAMA Network Open. Women, in particular, are drinking 17% more frequently than they were…

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Rising Suicides Among Black Residents of Cook County

The Chicago Sun-Times interviewed Matt Lawson on the alarming increase in suicides among Black residents of Cook County. (Check out the full interview here): “Within the first month of George Floyd happening, that conversation became very front and center,” says Matt Lawson, a counselor at Chicago Compass Counseling. “That conversation has led into a lot…

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