Shelia Cisco

Shelia Cisco is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) based in Illinois. She supports people facing relationship challenges, trauma and abuse, depression, intimacy concerns, and struggles with self-esteem and addiction. She also helps clients who are rethinking careers or processing major life changes. Her approach is grounded in listening first. Sessions focus on what matters to the individual and on practical steps they can try between meetings. She combines conversational, client-centered work with structured tools when those are helpful. Shelia uses methods drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to clarify values and shift unhelpful thinking. She also draws on existential ideas to help clients find meaning during hard transitions. These methods are blended to match each person’s goals. People often bring issues such as abandonment, body image, caregiver stress, communication problems, divorce or separation, and hospice and end-of-life concerns. Shelia also addresses guilt and shame, infidelity, loneliness, life purpose, gender dysphoria, and sexuality in a nonjudgmental way. With 12 years of experience as an LCPC, she aims to make therapy straightforward and usable. The focus is on making small, sustainable changes, building resilience, and helping people reconnect to what matters most to them.

How these approaches translate to online work

Shelia commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her practice. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people identify what matters to them and take small committed steps toward those values. It can be useful for grief, life purpose questions, and managing anxiety about change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on noticing thought patterns and testing them with practical experiments. CBT is often helpful for depression, self-esteem issues, and problem-solving in daily life. Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Shelia will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then suggest methods to try. The choice of tools is collaborative and can change as needs evolve. Confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when a brief touchpoint is needed. They also make it possible to continue care during life transitions or when attending in-person appointments would be difficult. Licensed professionals aim to adapt techniques so they work well in remote sessions and to help clients make progress in everyday settings.