Steven Kirkilas, LCSW, CSW

Steven Kirkilas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who offers a calm, straightforward approach to hard problems. He aims to meet people where they are with respect and without judgment. He presents as someone who focuses on trauma-informed care and mindfulness to help manage anxiety, depression, and stress.

Steven uses short, clear conversations to understand what matters most to each person. He listens for patterns that keep problems repeating and helps people try different ways of responding. Sessions may include attention to bodily experience alongside talk therapy and practical coping tools for day-to-day life.

He trained at the University of Illinois at Chicago and holds the LCSW and CSW credentials. Steven also reports experience using EMDR and somatic methods alongside mindfulness practices. Over seven years he has worked with a wide range of presenting issues, including trauma and abuse, addiction, grief, and stress-related concerns.

In therapy he pays attention to relationships and attachment issues, communication problems, and struggles like anger, low self-esteem, and coping with life changes. He also works with concerns such as first responder issues, compassion fatigue, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and end-of-life counseling.

People who contact him can expect a practical, collaborative process. He invites questions and offers a straightforward discussion about goals and next steps before making a plan.

How these approaches guide online work

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening closely and following the person's lead. The therapist creates space for people to say what matters and then helps them find their own solutions, which can be especially useful for relationship, self-esteem, and life-change concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes. It often includes clear exercises to practice between sessions and can help with anxiety, depression, and coping skills.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR, is a method used to address traumatic memories by pairing focused attention with guided processing. It is commonly used when trauma and abuse are part of the presenting concerns.

Choosing the right approach is usually a team effort. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, try methods that fit the issue, and adjust the plan as needed. That collaborative process helps identify which mix of methods works best for each person.

Because the profile does not list specific session formats, confirm available online options before booking. Many people find that online work helps fit therapy into busy days, allows shorter check-ins when needed, and supports using mindfulness or CBT exercises between meetings. Licensed professionals can adapt EMDR and somatic work to an online setting when appropriate and when both parties agree.