About Joan
Joan Paradis greets people with a relaxed, conversational style and a focus on where they are now. She supports people coping with stress, anxiety, mood disorders, addiction, grief, trauma, and life changes. Joan emphasizes listening without judgement and helping clients take practical steps forward.
She is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - with 13 years of experience based in Illinois. Joan centers sessions on the person's values and goals.
How Joan works
She aims to be an active listener who helps clients sort through feelings and decide what matters most. Joan uses straightforward tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and act on their values.
She also draws on mindfulness practices to reduce reactivity and on motivational interviewing to support change when habits or substance use get in the way. Her work includes support for people dealing with workplace stress, compassion fatigue, first responder issues, coping after disasters, hospice or end-of-life concerns, and parenting strain. Joan helps with relationship problems, self-esteem, anger, and career questions as well.
Sessions are meant to be practical and collaborative. Joan helps people set manageable goals, try new skills between meetings, and track what changes. The emphasis is on small steps that add up to real improvement.
People can expect a steady, empathetic presence and a focus on usable strategies. Joan aims to help clients build clearer priorities and more workable routines so daily life feels more manageable.
Joan lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Joan works with
The areas below are the ones Joan selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
Also listed
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- First responder issues
- Grief
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 13 |
| 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
How Joan's Approaches Work Online
Joan commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. ACT helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, or life changes. CBT focuses on identifying and changing thought and behavior patterns that contribute to mood problems and stress.She also uses mindfulness practices to help reduce reactivity and build calm. These approaches are described in simple, practical ways during sessions so clients can try them between meetings. Joan works collaboratively to decide which approaches fit best for a person's goals and preferences rather than prescribing one method up front.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for a full session with visual cues, phone can fit a quick check-in or when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or chat allow brief notes, skill coaching, or ongoing support between appointments. These options make it easier to schedule therapy around work, caregiving, or travel and to keep practicing strategies where they are most needed.
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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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