- Client-centered approach
- Trauma-informed care
- Practical skill building
About Tamela
Tamela Polanin is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) based in Illinois who helps people work through stress, trauma, relationship strain, and money-related concerns. She speaks plainly and aims to make the first step feel less intimidating. Tamela draws on two decades of experience in mental health and brings a steady, down-to-earth presence to sessions.
She believes people are the experts on their own lives and practices a client-centered approach that emphasizes collaboration. Tamela focuses on trauma work and supports people coping with grief, addiction, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and major life changes. She also addresses parenting challenges, communication problems, codependency, and body image concerns.
Tamela uses practical tools from cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior approaches when helpful, and she applies emotion-focused methods to address closeness and attachment struggles. She includes eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in trauma-focused work when appropriate. Her style mixes talking, skill practice, and paced processing of difficult memories.
Outside the office, Tamela is a mother and lives with her family in a rural area where they raise registered pygmy goats. That personal perspective informs a calm, approachable style and a respect for everyday routines. She welcomes people from varied backgrounds, including international clients, and asks that prospective clients confirm current session options before booking.
To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to therapist availability. Tamela aims to help people build skills, lessen overwhelm, and move toward a more manageable life.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person in front of the therapist. Online sessions using this approach emphasize listening, reflective dialogue, and collaborative goal-setting to help people make choices that fit their lives. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; online CBT often includes brief exercises and homework to practice between meetings and track progress. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is used for trauma processing and can be adapted to an online format with paced, therapist-guided procedures to help decrease distress around traumatic memories.Deciding which approach to use is a shared process. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, past treatment experiences, and what feels most manageable. Together they will try methods that match the client’s needs and adjust as progress is made.
Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule and reduce travel time. It can let people join from a quieter place, choose shorter check-ins when needed, or use video or audio depending on comfort and bandwidth. Because the biography does not specify exact session formats, confirm available options before booking. The focus online is the same as in person - working on skills, processing trauma, and supporting daily coping in a way that fits everyday life.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Tamela address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief, parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy issues, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and related areas.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her work is client-centered and collaborative, mixing talk, skill practice, and trauma processing methods to meet each person where they are.
How much experience does she have?
Tamela has 20 years of experience in mental health and has focused much of her recent work on trauma and loss.
Where is she licensed and located?
She holds an Illinois LCPC license and practices out of Illinois.
Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts clients from outside the United States.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How does cost and billing work?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.