- Years in practice
- 18
- Credentials
- LCPC
- Licensed in
- Illinois
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Family conflicts
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Mark
Mark Mikyska, LCPC, offers a straightforward and compassionate approach to therapy for adults in Illinois. He draws on nearly two decades of experience as a therapist and crisis worker to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, parenting challenges, and trauma-related concerns. He uses a warm, interactive style that focuses on respect and sensitivity.
Sessions are practical and geared toward helping people learn tools they can use between meetings.
Background and approach
He encourages clients to build skills so they can rely less on therapy over time. Mark combines several ways of working to meet different needs. He often uses mindfulness practices to help people notice their thoughts and calm the body.
He brings psychodynamic ideas to explore patterns that repeat over time and affect relationships and mood. For trauma and abuse, he applies trauma-focused methods to address painful memories and reactions in a paced way. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used when thoughts and behaviors are getting in the way of daily life or parenting responsibilities.
His background includes work as a crisis worker in the Chicago area and extensive clinical experience across many concerns. He aims to create a practical plan with each person and to adapt approaches to what helps most. Parents looking for clear strategies around parenting stress will find focused, relatable guidance.
What Mark works with
Everything Mark lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Mark helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dissociation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Approaches Mark lists
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Mark often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors that cause stress or interfere with parenting. CBT is goal-oriented and works well for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and managing daily routines.He also uses trauma-focused therapy to address reactions that follow abuse or other painful events. Trauma-focused work moves at the client's pace and focuses on reducing distressing memories and the ways those memories affect current life.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. This may mean mixing mindfulness exercises, CBT tools, or trauma-focused steps until a practical plan emerges.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let the therapist observe body language and hold longer conversations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text messaging can fit brief updates, quick coaching, or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options provide flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels.
Questions people ask about Mark
What concerns does this therapist address?
Mark works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, anger, and career stress.
What is the therapist's style and approach like?
He uses a warm, interactive style that emphasizes respect and practical skills. His approach blends mindfulness, psychodynamic ideas, trauma-focused work, existential thinking, and cognitive behavioral techniques.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He has 18 years of experience as a therapist and crisis worker, including substantial work in the Chicago area.
What credentials and location apply to this therapist?
He holds an IL LCPC credential and practices in Illinois.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. He does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and communication preferences.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work with him?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
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