Peter Fritch, MA, LCSW

We all have the ability to transform our lives and to heal. You can heal from painful relationships, memories of past hurts, traumatic experiences, oppression because of identities you hold, and other sources of distress and suffering. You have the capacity to live a meaningful life, to regain control where it is lacking, and to relinquish control when you need to let go of the heavy things weighing you down.

When people take the courageous step of starting therapy, it is often because something in their life is not bringing them joy, or because they feel stuck in the same patterns, behaviors, and relationships. With a safe space to explore our beliefs and experiences free from judgment or shame, we can truly understand and break those patterns, change those behaviors, and build better relationships.

I employ a dialectical approach to understanding behaviors. Meaning that life can often feel overwhelming, depressing, and dark; and it can simultaneously feel manageable, pleasurable, and bright. Unfortunately, many of us spend our lives either: 1) feeling stuck in the former and desperately wanting the latter; or 2) jumping between the former and the latter over and over, while desperately wanting more stability and balance. One of the tricks to living a rich and fulfilling life, I believe, is understanding, accepting, and embracing that both are a part of the human experience, and that both have an important purpose, an inherent value, within your life. As Og Mandino writes, “I will love the light for it shows me the way. Yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”

Using integrated principles from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), trauma-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), harm reduction, feminist relational theory, and other modalities, I will help you discover the wisdom you hold in order to invest in, and ultimately save, yourself. I will do this with humor, vulnerability, blunt honesty, and compassionate, person-centered care.

I hold a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago. I have a passion for, and experience working with, issues experienced by older adults and individuals identifying as LGBTQ+, both from my work at the community mental health agency Thresholds, the North Shore Senior Center, and Chicago House. I also have experience with treating serious mental illness, including depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, OCD and various phobias, substance abuse, trauma, and serious medical concerns. When not working, I am an activist and community organizer and spend my free time fighting for a more just world, reading, and writing.

Specialties and Clinical Interests Include:

• Adolescents, Young Adults, & Families
• Anxiety & Depression
• Bipolar Disorder & Mania
• Codependency
• Grief & Loss
• Hearing Voices, Schizophrenia, & Schizoaffective Disorders
• LGBTQ+ Affirmative Practice
• Mindfulness Skills
• OCD & Hoarding
• Personality Disorders
• Polyamory/Non-Monogamy
• Relationship Issues
• Self Esteem
• Self-harm, Cutting, and Suicidal Ideation
• Sexuality & Kink
• Stress Management
• Substance Use and/or Abuse (alcohol and other drugs)
• Transgender Identity
• Trauma
  • Complex Trauma
  • Early Childhood Trauma
  • Intimate Partner Violence
  • PTSD
  • Sexual Violence     

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ― Rumi

Doxy Link:  https://doxy.me/peterfritch