Sydney Gideon, Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Owner

“And be sure to keep your light bright and shining. You never know just how many people you may be a lighthouse for. You never know just how many people find their way home, in even the wildest storms, because you are there.”
— Cleo Wade

I am passionate, kindhearted and empathetic to the daily struggles impacting individuals in today’s complex world. I believe in using a strengths-based perspective to help clients identify and reach goals, while understanding the individual needs and desires of each client. Viewing the individual in the context of their environment allows me to gain a more holistic view of the client and the external stressors impacting their lives.

I integrate a wide range of treatment modalities including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Informed Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). My clinical training includes work with diverse populations of all ages spanning a variety of struggles and strengths. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, mood disorders, adjustment disorders, trauma, and abuse.

I cultivate a warm, collaborative, and nonjudgmental environment to empower clients to take an active role in their personal healing and growth while building a strong therapeutic relationship. I work to create a safe space for clients of all races, genders, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, relationship dynamics, and religious/spiritual beliefs.

APPROACH

    • I am a graduate of New York’s Columbia School of Social Work where I focused on health, mental health, and disabilities.

    • I am EMDR Certified, completing EMDR basic training though EMDRIA’s (EMDR International Association) certified training program. Visit our page about EMDR to learn more.

    • I performed a research study, “Experiences of Romantic Attraction Are Similar Across Dating Apps and Offline Dates in Young Adults”, explored attraction, perceptions of dating partners and behaviors across app-initiated and offline-initiated dating. Trait sociosexuality, destiny/growth beliefs, romanticism, and gender were also examined within the two dating experiences. This study was published to the Journal of Social Psychology Research in September of 2022.

Since I was a child I've felt an innate pull to help people. I've always found an individual’s life story to be incredibly interesting and impactful and wanted to understand more about how the human psyche works. I love creating connections with people of all ages and backgrounds and having the ability to have a positive impact on their lives. Listening to and learning about individual’s experiences has had a profound impact on how I view the world and show up in both my personal and professional life. I feel incredibly honored to be able to do this work and have the opportunity to make a difference each day.

SYDNEY’S FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A THERAPIST

FUN FACTS ABOUT SYDNEY

AVID READER - PREFERS BOOKS TO TV/MOVIES!

ENJOYS SPENDING TIME WITH HER MINI GOLDEN DOODLE, WILLOW

PROUD OWNER OF THIS PRACTICE!

Sydney’s Testimonials

  • “I sought out therapy to help with my feelings of anxiety after working in a toxic professional environment. Partnering with Sydney helped me manage what I can and cannot control, especially during a global pandemic these tools have been essential. Sydney's calm demeanor makes it easy to feel vulnerable and truly dig deep.”

  • “I have been working with Sydney for the past year and a half and she helped me to work through difficulties surrounding a chronic illness. I have spoken to other therapists in the past and what stands out to me about Sydney is how much she listens and remembers what you say. I am so grateful to have had her as a help throughout my recovery and now with other aspects of my life as well.”

  • "Sydney has helped me navigate an incredibly difficult time in my life by listening intently and helping me unravel the pieces into tangible bits. She is truly compassionate and caring and makes me feel safe to allow me to be myself and openly reflect. Along my journey, she has also reminded me about the importance of the relationship I have with myself, which I’ll carry forward with me for the rest of my life. Despite all going on around me, Sydney has been a source of light that I’ll forever be grateful for!"

  • “Sydney has been a calming and caring presence as I have begun to dig deep to resolve life-long anxiety issues and unresolved family trauma. She has a magical way of balancing tough love and challenging conversations with self-care and a gentleness that really make you feel safe. The tools I have learned from Sydney are tools that I will use for the rest of my life."

  • "I had worked with a therapist for almost a year and a half in my old city and made little to no progress. When I moved to Chicago, I still felt that my past traumas were unresolved…Sydney made this transition for me so much easier and really helped guide me during such a difficult time in my life. Words cannot express my gratitude to Sydney for helping me to take control of my mental health and allowing me to live freely, without feeling restrained by debilitating anxiety."