Erika Chavez,
LCSW

Welcome! I’m Erika, a bilingual Latine therapist. In my practice, I support individuals who are navigating life transitions, first-generation challenges, anxiety, depression, and race/ethnic identity exploration. I also specialize deeply in trauma work, including complex, intergenerational, relationship, medical, and environmental trauma, as well as how trauma can contribute to feeling disconnected, numb, or having difficulty staying present. Together, we explore early childhood experiences, attachment to primary caregivers, and your relationship with your cultural and physical environments to better understand how your brain and nervous system have been impacted by your lived experiences.

Trauma can profoundly disrupt our mental health, body, and nervous system, creating an internal environment that feels unsafe, dysregulated, and destabilizing. This may manifest as feeling anxious, sad, disconnected, stressed out, tense, or stuck. Over time, these internal shifts alter how we show up for ourselves and how we interact with those around us. We may struggle to trust ourselves, trust others, experience chronic tension in our bodies, feel exhausted, lose interest in activities we enjoy, and so much more. To help your brain and nervous system rediscover a sense of safety, I utilize holistic, trauma-informed, and somatic therapeutic approaches. Our collaborative work intentionally incorporates somatic practices such as grounding techniques, embodied awareness, creative art, and gentle movement. The combination of these approaches help process trauma slowly and safely. 

Prioritizing intersectionality and diverse identities is essential in my approach to therapy. The complex lived experiences of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals are unique and important. As a cisgender, heterosexual, Mexican-American woman raised by working-class immigrant parents in Chicago’s lower west side, I remain committed to my own growth and inner healing. I acknowledge my positions of social privilege as an American citizen, an able-bodied, white-passing Latina, and the holder of multiple higher education degrees. Living as a first-generation daughter comes with unique experiences. I deeply understand the weight of feeling like you must carry everything alone, stay perpetually resilient, manage the struggles of setting boundaries, overcoming imposter syndrome, and learning to assert your voice and claim your space. I intimately understand the persistent challenge of navigating a “ni de aquí, ni de allá” existence—feeling neither entirely from here nor from there. Because of this, I dedicate myself to cultivating a safe environment where individuals can discover a sense of belonging and balance while living amidst diverse cultures, traditions, languages, and values. I aim to provide a compassionate space where you can unpack the heavy burdens and explore your unique stories with compassion and understanding. Together, we can discover how recognizing and embracing your intersecting cultures, experiences, and identities can serve as powerful foundations for reconnection, strength, and celebration in your life.

I intimately understand the persistent challenge of navigating a “ni de aquí, ni de allá” existence—feeling neither entirely from here nor from there. Because of this, I dedicate myself to cultivating a safe environment where individuals can discover a sense of belonging and balance while living amidst diverse cultures, traditions, languages, and values.

My therapeutic approach is rooted in anti-racist, anti-oppressive, decolonized, and culturally responsive practices. I recognize that systemic, political, and institutional frameworks profoundly affect our mental wellness and daily lived experiences. So many of us constantly live in survival mode! Oppressive structures—including white supremacy, patriarchy, colonization, and anti-Blackness—persistently impact our lives, causing trauma, pain, rage, and sorrow. In our therapeutic work, we intentionally examine how these power dynamics influence our own relationship and the way we interact. I also recognize that conventional Western mental health frameworks are not a “one-size-fits-all” solution for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals. My approach utilizes a blend of integrative, holistic models. By adapting and combining traditional Western psychological approaches with non-Western ancestral healing traditions, we can cultivate a more inclusive path to wellness. When meaningful to you, our work can also include exploration of your connection to herbal medicine, spirituality, astrology, or ancestral work. Together, we will collaborate to determine which therapeutic modalities align best with your journey—drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS/Parts Work), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), relational therapy, and various other trauma-informed approaches. This comprehensive lens invites us to honor the crucial cultural, historical, and lived dimensions that shape your personal growth. 

In our sessions, cultivating safety is the absolute priority. We will create space to explore, process, grow, and share everything from laughter to tears. We are human! I bring a blend of empathy, compassion, affirmation, directness, and gentle challenging to the therapeutic relationship. Recognizing that healing is a messy, beautiful, and completely nonlinear journey, I meet you exactly where you are, honor your unique stories, and invite you to sit with everything at your own pace. My intention is to support you in cultivating greater self-confidence, resilience, authenticity, and core inner strength. 

Outside of therapy, I focus on nourishing my mind, body, and spirit by exploring new coffee shops, staying active through workouts and yoga, studying herbalism, thrifting, and spending quality time with friends. I also love diving into historical and dystopian fiction. A large portion of my free time is dedicated to my beloved corgis, whether we are playing, cuddling, or napping together.

Erika Chavez received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago in 2020, and a Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University Chicago in 2022.