Frequently Asked Questions

  • Taking the first step can be daunting, so we make it as simple as possible. You can book your free, 15-minute consultation directly through our secure SimplePractice portal. During this call, we will discuss what you are looking for, answer any questions, and ensure you are paired with a clinician who is the best fit for your needs. If you prefer, you can also reach out to us via email at info@olivebranchwellness.org or call/text us at 312-248-4070.

  • The process begins with a free 15-minute consultation to ensure we are a strong clinical and cultural fit. If we decide to move forward, our dedicated administrative team will send you digital intake forms. In our first official session, we will focus on building safety, understanding your history, and collaboratively defining your healing goals. You are in the driver's seat; we move at your pace.

  • We offer secure, virtual individual counseling, couples therapy, and community-focused support for residents across all of Illinois. Our services are highly specialized for BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ+ folks, immigrants, and those navigating life in the diaspora, focusing on healing anxiety, traumas, and systemic burnout.

  • Absolutely. We use industry-leading, HIPAA-compliant platforms, including SimplePractice and Google Meet, to ensure your privacy and confidentiality are strictly protected during every single online session.

  • We ask for at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel an appointment. However, we also understand that life happens. We offer a one-time fee waiver for a late cancellation or no-show. Additionally, if you need to late-cancel but are able to reschedule your appointment within that same week, the late fee is entirely waived.

  • Before we ever approach heavy trauma or difficult-to-sit-with material, we prioritize safety. We focus heavily on resourcing and expanding your "window of tolerance" (your nervous system's capacity to handle stress without shutting down or panicking). We use somatic therapies and grounding techniques to ensure your body and mind feel stable, regulated, and secure before diving into deeper intergenerational or racial trauma work.

  • Our practice is unique because we seamlessly weave together rigorous, evidence-based modalities with decolonized, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive frameworks. Depending on your unique needs, our integrative approach draws from:

    • Trauma-Responsive & Processing: EMDR, Desensitization/Exposure Therapy, Narrative Therapy.

    • Cognitive & Behavioral: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention).

    • Relational & Emotional: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Compassion-Focused, Psychodynamic, and Relational therapies.

    • Holistic & Systemic: Somatic therapies, Harm Reduction, and Multicultural counseling.

  • We believe that true systemic healing cannot happen if the healers themselves are burned out. Unlike many traditional clinic models, Olive Branch Wellness intentionally prioritizes our therapists' wellbeing so they can prioritize you. We support our clinicians by providing:

    • Sustainable work hours and full schedule autonomy

    • Comprehensive benefits and bonuses

    • Supportive clinical supervision and consultation

    • Funded trainings and continuing education

    • Full administrative, financial, and marketing support

    By ensuring our team is unburdened by administrative fatigue, we guarantee that your therapist shows up to your sessions grounded, secure, fully present, and capable of providing the exceptionally safe care you deserve.

  • Before we ever approach heavy trauma or difficult-to-sit-with material, we prioritize safety. We focus heavily on resourcing and expanding your "window of tolerance" (your nervous system's capacity to handle stress without shutting down or panicking). We use somatic therapies and grounding techniques to ensure your body and mind feel stable, regulated, and secure before diving into deeper intergenerational or racial trauma work.

  • Our practice is unique because we seamlessly weave together rigorous, evidence-based modalities with decolonized, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive frameworks. Depending on your unique needs, our integrative approach draws from:

    • Trauma-Responsive & Processing: EMDR, Desensitization/Exposure Therapy, Narrative Therapy.

    • Cognitive & Behavioral: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention).

    • Relational & Emotional: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Compassion-Focused, Psychodynamic, and Relational therapies.

    • Holistic & Systemic: Somatic therapies, Harm Reduction, and Multicultural counseling.

  • We believe that true systemic healing cannot happen if the healers themselves are burned out. Unlike many traditional clinic models, Olive Branch Wellness intentionally prioritizes our therapists' wellbeing by providing sustainable work hours, hands clinicians full autonomy over their schedules, comprehensive benefits, bonuses, supportive supervision and consultation, funded trainings and continuing education, marketing and other financial supports to lift the responsibility and financial burden for therapists, and full administrative support. By ensuring our clinicians are fully supported and unburdened by administrative fatigue, we guarantee that they show up to your sessions grounded, secure, fully present, and capable of providing the exceptionally safe care you deserve.

  • Absolutely. We use industry-leading, HIPAA-compliant platforms, including SimplePractice and Google Meet, to ensure your privacy and confidentiality are strictly protected during every single online session.

  • We ask for at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel an appointment. However, we also understand that life happens. We offer a one-time fee waiver for a late cancellation or no-show. Additionally, if you need to late-cancel but are able to reschedule your appointment within that same week, the late fee is entirely waived.

  • Decolonized therapy shifts the focus away from Eurocentric, individualized blame. Instead, it recognizes how systemic oppression, racism, capitalism, and cultural erasure impact your mental health, honoring community and ancestral healing.

  • Yes. Olive Branch Wellness is a 100% virtual therapy practice. We provide secure, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive telehealth services specifically designed for marginalized identities. Because we are online, we can serve individuals, couples, and communities anywhere in the state of Illinois.

  • "Therapy to the root" is our practice's guiding philosophy. Instead of just managing surface-level symptoms in isolation, we work collaboratively with you to uncover and heal the deep, systemic, and historical roots of your anxiety and trauma, fostering genuine empowerment from the root to the branch.

  • Intergenerational trauma is the emotional and psychological pain passed down through generations, often experienced by families impacted by systemic oppression, forced migration, or life in the diaspora. At Olive Branch Wellness, we use our "Therapy to the root" approach to help you identify these inherited narratives, break harmful cycles, and reconnect with your ancestral resilience.

  • If you feel constantly exhausted, hyper-vigilant, disconnected, or stuck in "survival mode" due to navigating microaggressions and systemic pressures, you may be experiencing racial trauma or systemic burnout. Our culturally responsive clinicians provide a safe, affirming space to validate these experiences and help you develop grounding skills to regulate your nervous system.

  • Working with a culturally affirming therapist means you do not have to spend your sessions "translating" your culture, explaining your racial fatigue, or defending your lived reality. Our clinicians provide a profoundly safe space where your intersecting identities are understood and honored, allowing us to dive directly into deep, transformative healing.

  • Yes. Extensive research shows that telehealth is just as effective as in-person therapy. Virtual therapy allows you to process heavy emotions and unpack systemic trauma from the comfort and safety of your own home, making culturally responsive care more accessible no matter where you live in Illinois.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Decolonized therapy shifts the focus away from Eurocentric, individualized blame. Instead, it recognizes how systemic oppression, racism, capitalism, and cultural erasure impact your mental health, honoring community and ancestral healing.

  • Yes. Olive Branch Wellness is a 100% virtual therapy practice. We provide secure, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive telehealth services specifically designed for marginalized identities. Because we are online, we can serve individuals, couples, and communities anywhere in the state of Illinois.

  • "Therapy to the root" is our practice's guiding philosophy. Instead of just managing surface-level symptoms in isolation, we work collaboratively with you to uncover and heal the deep, systemic, and historical roots of your anxiety and trauma, fostering genuine empowerment from the root to the branch.

  • Intergenerational trauma is the emotional and psychological pain passed down through generations, often experienced by families impacted by systemic oppression, forced migration, or life in the diaspora. At Olive Branch Wellness, we use our "Therapy to the root" approach to help you identify these inherited narratives, break harmful cycles, and reconnect with your ancestral resilience.

  • If you feel constantly exhausted, hyper-vigilant, disconnected, or stuck in "survival mode" due to navigating microaggressions and systemic pressures, you may be experiencing racial trauma or systemic burnout. Our culturally responsive clinicians provide a safe, affirming space to validate these experiences and help you develop grounding skills to regulate your nervous system.

  • Working with a culturally affirming therapist means you do not have to spend your sessions "translating" your culture, explaining your racial fatigue, or defending your lived reality. Our clinicians provide a profoundly safe space where your intersecting identities are understood and honored, allowing us to dive directly into deep, transformative healing.

  • Yes. Extensive research shows that telehealth is just as effective as in-person therapy. Virtual therapy allows you to process heavy emotions and unpack systemic trauma from the comfort and safety of your own home, making culturally responsive care more accessible no matter where you live in Illinois.

  • Item description