Laurie Retzky, LCSW
Early Adolescents (11-13), Middle Adolescents (14-18), College (18-21), Young Adults (20-30), Adults, Couples, Parents, Families
Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Parenting, School Issues, Life Transitions, Divorce, Relationships, Self-Esteem and Identity Development, Women’s Issues, Men’s Issues
30+ Years as a Therapist and Lake Forest Resident
Laurie grew up in Lake Forest and attended Lake Forest High School. She went to Northwestern University for her Bachelors of Science, and then received her MSW from Loyola University.
Laurie is always seeking to identify the many strengths that clients bring to the clinical setting. Her work focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behavior (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). She also uses trauma-informed techniques such as the Trauma Narrative and Mindfulness. She enjoys helping clients improve their communication and manage their emotions. She likes to help clients recognize what is going “right” in addition to what is going “wrong”. She uses humor (when appropriate) and believes that with a caring and supportive relationship her clients can find hope, peace and joy.
EXPERTISE IN SCHOOLS
With twenty years of experience as a school social worker, from early childhood through high school, she is very knowledgeable about how school systems work and can help parents advocate for their children who might need an IEP or a 504 Plan.
As a school social worker Laurie supported students by doing assessments, teaching social skills, emotion management, and providing crisis intervention. She also supported parents through consultation and formal parenting groups.
PARENTS
In her years of both professional and life experience, Laurie has learned the value of understanding all of life’s developmental stages. She seeks to help parents support their children through both the “smooth sailing” times and the turbulent ones. She understands the worry that parents often feel as they try to balance keeping their kids safe while encouraging their independence.
PARENTS OF ATHLETES
Laurie’s two children grew up in Lake Forest. They both had a passion for sports and played from kindergarten through college. She learned about the level of commitment required to travel around the country for games, training, and the college recruitment process. As a parent, she knows it can be both a challenge as well as a joy to help our children navigate relationships with coaches, teammates and the other parents.
FOR FUN
Laurie enjoys walking with her husband and their dog Pony the Sheltie around Lake Forest and Fort Sheridan. She also likes to watch “Beat Bobby Flay” while on her Concept II rowing machine. When schedules permit, she enjoys vacationing with her husband and their two adult children (who live on opposite coasts!) She and her husband love to spend time relaxing and watching all the best the many streaming platforms have to offer.
![Did you catch my last post on how to make new friends as an adult woman?
I’ll be the first to admit, talking to new people can be nerve-wracking, so I came up with a few easy icebreakers to get the conversation started:
🧊"I noticed your [bag/shirt/shoes, etc.]. That's really cute! Where did you get it?"
🧊"My child is starting at this school/daycare next week. Where does your child go?"
🧊"I've been looking for something new to read. Do you have any recommendations?"
🧊"Have you tried any new restaurants or coffee shops in the area lately? I'm always looking for new places to check out."
🧊“I’m prioritizing staying healthy right now. What kind of exercise do you do?”
🧊“What shows are you loving right now? Mine are [tell them your favorite shows].”
🧊“Do you listen to podcasts? Which ones are your favorite?”
🧊“Do you have any interesting hobbies?”
“Where are you vacationing this summer?”
🧊“I’m interested in volunteering, do you have any organizations you can recommend?”
Remember, icebreakers are meant to be light conversation starters - a good place to start is to simply introduce yourself, shake hands, and smile. For best results, always try to choose an icebreaker that has some context to the situations you’re in.
Finally, it’s 100% normal to feel awkward and you can rest assured that most people feel the same when they’re meeting someone new. Embrace whatever feelings you’re having and just be yourself.
#mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapist #relationshippodcast #icebreakers](https://inspirecounselingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)