Kristin Plath, LCPC

Children, Adolescents, College, Young Adults, Adults, Parents, Families

Behavioral Issues, Anger Management, ADHD, Autism (ASD), Executive Functioning, Elimination Concerns, Trouble in School, Screen/Video Game Addiction, LGBTQIA+, Family Challenges, Parent Coaching

Hello! My name is Kristin. As someone who was born and raised in Highland Park, I understand the beauty of the North Shore community while recognizing its nuances and challenges.

Before becoming a therapist, I dove into the world of research at the University of Chicago. For four years, I assisted in the psycho-linguistics lab with the design of multiple studies run in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and traveled across the country to collect data on language development in children. I worked tirelessly with parents, children, school administrators and students to coordinate schedules and organize in-lab projects. I also conducted studies at the Neuroscience Lab at University of Missouri on social cognitive and additions with 200+ college students.

While I loved research and working with children, adolescents and college-age students, I wanted to make a bigger impact. I wanted to offer a more hands-on level of support, through therapy.

The last four years, I provided therapy in a private practice in Buffalo Grove with kids, teens, young adults, families and parents. Being a therapist is my passion. It is so rewarding to see people’s lives change and I’m thrilled to be able to now serve the Lake Forest community.

I have learned that every person has a unique journey and needs a tailored approach to succeed. Everyone in this world has stress and challenges. But, each person responds to stressors and change in a unique way. There is no one-size fits all recipe to therapy, but it’s actually one of the things I love the most. I love creating a custom plan for each person to figure out what works best!

My passions are in treating anxiety, depression, life-stage challenges, communication issues, and family dynamics such as behavioral concerns in children. I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a safe and nonjudgmental environment to actively address any areas of life that may benefit from additional support, and I am so honored to be a part of the therapy journey, helping all of my clients in reaching their goals!

Children, Adolescents & Behavioral Challenges

Working with kids is one of my biggest passions. I have a great deal of experience working with kids and adolescents who are struggling with behavioral, emotional dysregulation, executive functioning, ADHD, Autism (ASD), friendships, communication or academic concerns.

Often times, kids behaviors and struggles are manifested as symptoms of anxiety. My work with younger children focuses on truly hearing and understanding their experiences and concerns, while developing a plan to reasonably and realistically address their challenges. I also am an amature Lego-building lover, which is great for kids and adults for mindfulness. I take pride in working with whole family units to better understand the underlying emotional distress that leads to dysregulation. Together, we implement adaptive responses that encourage prosocial communication and self-efficacy beliefs.

I utilize a variety of interventions including play and expressive techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing and psychoeducation to provide the support that each client deserves from a non-judgmental stance.

I also know it’s important to have a 360-degree support system. I collaborate with school staff and counselors, external therapy service providers, psychologists, and of course empower parents to navigate challenges at home.

Family Challenges & Parent Coaching

Families are both beautiful and complex. During the best of times, families are the epicenter of security, unconditional love and support. However, no family is perfect. Life throws us curve balls and challenges we were never prepared for.

Managing the struggles of kids who have unique social, emotional or behavioral challenges, requires a unique skill-set without an instruction manual.

When one person struggles in the family, it sends ripple waves impacting every person in the unit–even if it’s not obvious to see. Similarly, when one person in the family heals and grows, it also positively impacts every person in the family. Much like gears in a clock, a family moves and changes together.

With my experience working with kids, I’m passionate about the power of collaboration and support within families. Parents have the first and greatest opportunity to influence their kids life, no matter what age.

I love empowering parents to take care of themselves, while managing challenges with their kids, partners or extended support system.

For Fun…

In my free time I love spending time with my rescue animals, Cooper, a dog that acts much more like a cat and Sadie, a cat that acts way more like a dog as well as my turtle Winston and fish Matty and Stanley. I am an avid amateur chef and baker who is never afraid to try a new recipe and a die-hard fan of “so-bad-its-good” reality shows.

I also have developed a late in life passion for Legos, and can often be found putting together, taking apart and rebuilding classic sets like the Home Alone house, Friends sets and any set designed after a Disney movie!