About James
Dr. James Bedell is a clinical psychologist with 38 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, trauma, and relationship concerns. He holds the Illinois psychologist credential IL Psychologist 071004954 and practices from Illinois.
Dr. Bedell aims to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk about what matters most to them. He begins by looking at the whole person - psychological, social, biological, and spiritual factors that affect daily life.
How James works
That broad view helps him pick practical steps that address symptoms like anxiety, low mood, or problems with intimacy. He talks plainly about patterns that come from early attachment experiences as well as current thinking and behavior. Dr.
Bedell uses several proven approaches to tailor care. He draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, emotionally focused work to address relationship wounds, and EMDR to help process traumatic memories. He also incorporates skills from dialectical behavior therapy to help manage strong emotions.
Sessions focus on clear goals and doable actions. Clients can expect to learn coping strategies, try new ways of communicating, and practice skills between meetings. The emphasis is on reducing suffering and building strengths in everyday life.
Dr. Bedell describes therapy as a collaborative effort. He works alongside people to identify what matters, set priorities, and move toward relief and better daily functioning.
James lists 7 ways of working on the entry:
What James works with
The areas below are the ones James selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- First responder issues
- Grief
- Hoarding
- Intimacy-related issues
- Jealousy
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Paranoia
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Sex addiction
- Sexual dysfunction
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Training and background
| Register | IL Psychologist |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 38 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Illinois |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches adapted for online care
Dr. Bedell uses approaches that translate well to remote sessions and skills work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing behaviors that keep problems going; it is useful for anxiety, depression, and many everyday challenges. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people understand and change patterns in close relationships by naming emotions and shifting interaction cycles. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR, is a method for processing traumatic memories and reducing their emotional intensity through structured recall and guided attention.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative step. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is observed.
Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports brief check-ins during the day, and text-based messaging can keep work going between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue work on skills without long commutes.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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