What are Vivian Estrada's specialties and areas of expertise?

Vivian Estrada, LCPC specializes in treating anxiety disorders, depression, trauma recovery, life transitions, relationship challenges, and perfectionism. She works with both adults and teens, providing compassionate, evidence-based support for managing overwhelming worry, panic, sadness, and emotional distress. Vivian uses collaborative, client-centered approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, and mindfulness techniques to help clients gain clarity and develop practical coping strategies for lasting change.

Does Vivian Estrada offer therapy in Spanish?

Yes, Vivian Estrada is a fully bilingual therapist who provides therapy sessions in both English and Spanish. She understands the importance of being able to express yourself in the language you're most comfortable with, and she ensures that you can receive culturally sensitive care in your preferred language. Whether you prefer to conduct your entire therapy in Spanish, English, or switch between both languages, Vivian can accommodate your needs.

What therapeutic approaches does Vivian Estrada use?

Vivian uses a collaborative, client-centered approach that blends evidence-based techniques including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, and mindfulness practices. Her focus is on identifying the root causes of emotional distress—whether that's unresolved trauma, perfectionism, relationship challenges, or life transitions—and building practical coping strategies that create lasting change. Vivian's approach is flexible and tailored to each individual client's needs and goals.

What insurance does Vivian Estrada accept?

Vivian Estrada is in-network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice PPO, Aetna, Lyra, First Health, and Cigna/Evernorth insurance plans. Shift Counseling will verify your specific benefits and provide an estimate of your out-of-pocket costs before your first appointment to ensure transparency about coverage and costs.

What is Vivian Estrada's background and training?

Vivian Estrada is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with over 5 years of experience. She earned her BA in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2015, and her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adler University in 2019. Vivian has worked in various settings including community mental health centers, ABA programs, and programs for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and life challenges. Her personal experience supporting families through difficult times inspired her to pursue a career in counseling where she could provide emotionally connected care.

Vivian Estrada, LCPC- Bilingual Therapist

Image of Vivian Estrada, a bilingual counselor at Shift Counseling, PC

Bilingual Counseling for Life's Big Transitions, Anxiety, and Depression

Hi, I'm Vivian, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor at Shift Counseling, PC in North Riverside, Illinois. A lot of my work is helping teens, young adults, and adults steady themselves when everything feels like too much.

You know the feeling of being in between. The move happened, the breakup is final, the new job started, but you haven't landed yet. Everyone around you is asking how you're settling in, and you don't have a real answer. You're not in crisis, exactly. You're just not yourself yet, and you're starting to wonder how long that's supposed to last. I became a therapist because I wanted to be present with people in a way that feels genuinely connected, not clinical or distant, and that's still how I sit with clients today. Therapy with me is a place where you can show up exactly as you are, unsure, tired, somewhere in between, and be met with care, curiosity, and respect.

Whatever the storm looks like for you, my job is to be a steady anchor while you find your way through it. I work with clients in person at our North Riverside office and virtually throughout Illinois.

Who I Work With

There's usually a threshold involved when someone reaches out to me, whether you're a teen navigating something you can't quite name yet or a young adult who's been carrying it quietly for years. A move, a loss, a new role, a relationship that's shifted, a stretch where the version of yourself that used to work just doesn't fit anymore. Here's what tends to come up in the work:

What you might be feelingAnxiety that keeps your mind racing, or worry that lands in your body before you can name it
Depression, low motivation, or a flatness that puts the things you used to enjoy out of reach
What you're moving throughTrauma you've never had the space to fully process
Life transitions: a move, a breakup, a career change, new parenthood, or starting over in a new country or culture
Patterns that keep showing upRelationship patterns that keep repeating
Perfectionism and the exhaustion of holding it together for everyone else

View Vivian's Schedule and Request an Appointment

What Makes My Approach Different

I work collaboratively and keep you at the center of it. I'm less interested in labels and more interested in what's actually keeping you stuck, so a lot of our work focuses on getting to the root of the distress, whether that's unresolved trauma, perfectionism, a hard transition, or a relationship pattern, instead of only managing the surface.

The work usually leans on a few evidence-based tools, used in whatever mix fits you:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

to understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors feed each other, and to build practical coping strategies

Solution-focused therapy

to get clarity and create change you can actually feel in daily life

Mindfulness

to help you steady yourself when everything feels like too much

You won't get a one-size-fits-all plan. We'll figure out together what helps and adjust as we go.

A green couch inside of a counseling room at Shift Counseling, PC

Therapy in English or Spanish

I offer sessions in both English and Spanish so you can express yourself in the language you feel most yourself in. For a lot of people, the words that carry real emotion only come in one language, and you shouldn't have to translate your experience just to be understood. You can move between the two freely in session.

Ofrezco sesiones de terapia en inglés y español para que puedas expresarte en el idioma con el que te sientes más cómodo. No tienes que traducir lo que sientes para que te entiendan.

Bilingual and Multi-Cultural Counseling

My Path to Becoming a Therapist

A therapist in a beige blazer gently comforts a young woman with curly hair who is covering her face with her hand, resting a supportive hand on her shoulder and head.

I didn't start out planning to be a counselor. I was in a pre-med program when a child I knew became seriously ill. I went to the hospital to sit with the family and offer what support I could, and in that room I realized I wanted to help people in a way that felt more emotionally connected than medicine usually allows. I switched majors, and I've been doing this work ever since.

Along the way I've worked and volunteered in a range of settings, including community mental health centers, ABA programs, and programs supporting people living with depression, anxiety, and other life challenges. That mix shaped how I meet people: practically, warmly, and without judgment.

Knowing the power of being with people through their hardest moments, still shapes how I show up for counseling. I can be open if you're not sure of where to start, or structured if you have a clear goal in mind. I like being creative with finding ways to connect beyond just talking. We may use cards to start conversations, or journaling to make sure we are staying focused on specific goals.

My Training and Background

BA in Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2015 (minor in Spanish)
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Adler University, Chicago, 2019
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)

Let's Get Started

I'm currently accepting new clients and have Saturday appointments available. You can see my schedule and request a time online.

Reach out.

Use our contact form or book a free 15-minute consultation. On the call you can share what is going on and we can explore how I can help.
Have your first session.

We will talk through what brought you in and start mapping out what you want to be different.
Begin the work.

We'll meet in person at the North Riverside office or virtually anywhere in Illinois, in English or Spanish, and build from there.

For insurance, Shift Counseling, PC is in network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice PPO, Aetna, Cigna, First Health, MyBlue Plus, and Lyra EAP. We'll help you understand your coverage. FSA, HSA, and HRA cards are also accepted.

View Vivian’s Schedule and Request an Appointment

FAQs

I'm a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with over 5 years of experience. I earned my BA in Psychology, with a minor in Spanish, from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and my MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adler University in Chicago. Before working at Shift Counseling, PC in North Riverside, I worked and volunteered across community mental health centers, ABA programs, and programs supporting people living with depression, anxiety, and other life challenges. I see adults and teens, and I offer sessions in both English and Spanish.
I am able to see clients on Saturdays. If you check the scheduling page and don't see any openings, it's worth checking back in a few weeks as new appointments do open up. You're also welcome to reach out directly and we'll let you know what's available.
It's a short, no-cost conversation where we talk about what's bringing you in and what you're hoping to get out of therapy. You can ask me anything about how I work and decide for yourself whether it feels right. There's no obligation to book after.
I tend to connect well with people who feel like they're holding everything together on the outside while struggling underneath, especially anyone navigating a big life change or facing something they've carried on their own for a long time. If you want a therapist who is collaborative and gets to the root of things rather than just talking around them, we'll likely work well together.
Yes. I work with teens as well as young adults. A lot of the same things come up: anxiety, depression, life transitions, and the pressure of holding it together when things feel uncertain. If you're a parent wondering whether your teenager might benefit from talking to someone, feel free to reach out and we can figure out if it's a good fit.
Yes. I provide full sessions in both English and Spanish, and you're welcome to move between the two. You can express yourself in the language you feel most comfortable in, without translating your experience to be understood.
It depends on what you're working through and your goals. Some people come for a specific transition or stressor and feel steadier in a few months, while others stay longer for deeper work. We'll check in regularly about your progress so the pace always fits you, not a fixed timeline.
At Shift Counseling, PC in North Riverside, we're in network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice PPO, Aetna, Cigna, First Health, MyBlue Plus, and we accept FSA, HSA, and HRA cards. We'll verify your benefits and estimate your out-of-pocket cost before your first session. For current self-pay rates, see our Fees page.
Yes. I see clients in person at our North Riverside office and virtually throughout Illinois, including Broadview, Westchester, Brookfield, La Grange Park, Berwyn, Forest Park, and Chicago. Many clients mix in-person and virtual depending on their week.
We see clients by appointment only. Please provide at least 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. Missed sessions without 24-hour notice are subject to a $50 fee.

Ready to take the first step?

When you're ready, I'd be honored to hold space for what you're carrying. Reach out today to schedule your free consultation, in-person in North Riverside or virtually anywhere in Illinois.

Book an appointment with vivian