Dr. Alana Atchison

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She/Her/Hers

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In Person Oak Park & Virtual in Illinois

I believe that unprocessed traumas and experiences affect psychological functioning, so I help clients uncover the ways in which their past experiences affect their daily lives.

About Me

Dr. Alana Atchison is a Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist from Chicago, IL. She earned her Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) degree from Adler University in 2016. Dr. Atchison has worked with children, adolescents, and adults who experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, LGBTQIA+ concerns, and a range of other issues. She has also worked in a variety of settings, including residential treatment, juvenile justice, and homeless facilities. Dr. Atchison owns and operates her private practice, where she currently provides individual therapy to a range of clients.

Dr. Atchison approaches psychological treatment from an integrative approach, using a variety of well-researched psychological theories in practice. Dr. Atchison believes that unprocessed traumas and experiences affect psychological functioning, so she helps clients uncover the ways in which their past experiences and unprocessed events affect their daily lives. This helps clients discover patterns of behavior that may no longer serve a purpose, and hinder their sense of happiness. This philosophy is in line with psychodynamic theory.

Additionally, Dr. Atchison believes that making conscious and deliberate decisions can drastically improve one’s mental health. To help clients achieve goals of intentional decision making and radical acceptance, Dr. Atchison uses cognitive-behavioral approaches.

Lastly, Dr. Atchison believes that therapy serves a different need for different people. For instance, some people may need therapy to vent about problems or concerns, others might need therapy to process their thoughts/feelings, while someone else might want to use therapy to actively work on a specific issue. Thus, Dr. Atchison adjusts her therapeutic style accordingly to best meet her clients needs.

Some general techniques Dr. Atchison uses throughout all sessions include, active and empathetic listening, connecting current with past behaviors, gentle challenging, pointed question asking, and open and honest reflection.