Rachel Featherstone
LSW
Pronouns: She/Her
Offering in-person sessions planned with the opening of the Hinsdale location
Therapy for Adults Ready to Build a Life Around What Actually Matters
Calm, direct, and genuinely non-judgmental support for anxiety, identity, and emotions that move faster than thought.
Let’s Start Here
You may have already decided how this goes. Therapy works for other people — people whose problems are more legitimate, or less complicated, or easier to explain — but not for you. Maybe you also grew up somewhere that feelings were something you handled privately, if you handled them at all. So you manage. You get the day done, keep the peace, skip the conversation, and tell yourself this is just how it is. But underneath that is a question you may not have had words for yet: what would you want your life to be organized around, if the answer were allowed to be yours?
What would you say to someone who’s nervous or unsure about starting therapy?
A lot of people believe therapy works — just not for them. Too specific a situation, too far gone, or not bad enough to count. I'm Rachel Featherstone, a licensed social worker at Tides Mental Health, and that belief comes up in almost every first conversation I have. It makes sense; you've been reinforcing it for years. It's still worth testing. Book a consultation and let's find out.
What would you say to someone who’s nervous or unsure about starting therapy?
A lot of people believe therapy works — just not for them. Too specific a situation, too far gone, or not bad enough to count. I'm Rachel Featherstone, a licensed social worker at Tides Mental Health, and that belief comes up in almost every first conversation I have. It makes sense; you've been reinforcing it for years. It's still worth testing. Book a consultation and let's find out.
What It’s Like to Work Together
Expect a calm, steady room and questions that get more specific as you go. You'll start with the wide-open ones — what's going on, what's been heavy — and move toward narrower ones that help you catch a pattern you've been living inside without ever naming. Much of the work is values work, drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). You'll get concrete about what actually matters to you, then name small, doable actions that move you toward it — including on the days your symptoms are loud. You'll also build Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for the moments emotion outruns thought, and take an honest look at the all-or-nothing beliefs you hold about yourself. And you won't be talking to a blank wall — expect a real person on the other side, with pets and book recommendations, because it's hard to be honest with someone who won't be a person back.
What can clients expect it to feel like in a session with you?
Sessions with me feel calm, but not soft. I ask a lot of questions — open ones at the start, then more specific as we get into the details, because that's usually where the useful stuff is hiding. Some people want structure and an agenda. Some would rather talk and see where it lands. I'll follow your lead on that. What stays constant is that nothing you say gets a raised eyebrow from me. You can say the ugly version out loud.
What’s one reason you’re passionate about the work you do?
I've sat with a lot of people who came in convinced they were the exception — that everyone else could get better, but not them. Watching someone find out they were wrong about that is the reason I do this. I also care deeply about identity work, especially with LGBTQIA+ clients, because getting to explore who you are with someone who won't flinch isn't something everyone has had access to. Everybody deserves a room where the whole thing can be said.
Clinical Specialties
- Anxiety that has you rehearsing conversations before they happen
- Depression and low motivation that puts the things you care about out of reach
- Mood and emotion that move bigger and faster than the situation calls for
- Relationships that swing between too close and too far
- Gender and sexuality exploration, and identity questions without tidy answers
- Life transitions — starting college, leaving it, and every reinvention after
- Communication struggles with the people closest to you
- Setting boundaries without guilt running the show
- Avoidance, isolation, and the slow drift away from people
- Rigid, all-or-nothing thinking about yourself and your options
Treatment Modalities
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – get clear on what you genuinely value, then build daily actions that move you toward it, even while the hard symptoms are still in the picture.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills – practical tools for getting through a hard moment without making it worse, naming what you feel accurately, and asking for what you need.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) tools - surface the all-or-nothing beliefs running underneath your reactions, and test whether they actually hold up.
- Motivational interviewing – talk through the ambivalence honestly, without pressure to be more ready than you are.
- Reality acceptance work – see your circumstances as they are rather than as you wish they were, so your effort goes where it can actually make a difference.
Populations Served
- Adults 18 and older, including older adults trying therapy for the first time
- Young adults navigating college, first jobs, and the shift into adulthood
- LGBTQIA+ clients exploring gender, sexuality, and identity
- People who grew up being told emotions weren't something you discussed
- Clients stepping down from intensive programs into ongoing weekly support
- Adults who are skeptical, ambivalent, or reluctant about starting therapy
Training & Credentials
- Education: Master of Social Work (MSW), Dominican University, River Forest, IL — specialization in clinical/medical social work (Advanced Standing Program) - Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), Illinois State University — minor in political science
- Licensure: Licensed Social Worker (LSW), State of Illinois — practicing under clinical supervision - Group therapy experience at the PHP and IOP levels of care, using CBT, DBT, and ACT - Training in suicide risk assessment, Psychological First Aid, and adolescent clinical considerations
- Languages Spoken: English
- Availability: Telehealth for clients across Illinois; in-person sessions planned with the opening of the Hinsdale location - Tuesday and Thursday evenings, plus Saturday mornings
If you've been telling yourself that therapy is a good idea for other people, that's worth bringing into the room rather than treating as settled. The work here is less about fixing what you feel and more about getting clear on what you want your life organized around — and then building the tools to actually move that way. Book a free 15-minute consultation and tell me what's going on.
Insurance We Accept
We accept most major insurance providers and offer several convenient payment methods to ensure accessibility for your care. We also offer various payment methods, including credit cards, bank transfers, and electronic payments.
