Rita Pillai, MSW, LSW

Kids, Adolescents, College, Young Adults, Families, Parents,

Anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD), Depression, Disabilities, Play Therapy, Self-esteem, Friendship Struggles, Life Transitions, Art-Therapy, Social Skills

Hi, I am Rita. I’m grateful you’re considering me to work with you, or your child. If you work with me, I promise to make you feel warmly welcomed, understood, and cared for in a safe place to be yourself.

My story begins with my adoption from India at age two. I grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and am the youngest of four siblings. My adoption experience showed me firsthand how essential it is to build strong, stable, healthy environments and relationships in family systems.

While all my siblings attended University of Notre Dame, I carved my own path at Saint Mary’s College, right across the street. At Saint Mary’s, I earned my Bachelor of Social Work with a minor in Psychology. I completed my Masters of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, focusing on Advanced Clinical Practice.

I have deep compassion, understanding, and empathy for those who feel left out, whether it’s from society, friend groups, school, family or just feeling alone and misplaced in the world.

I bring over 11 years of experience working with individuals with severe and profound developmental delays, autism, ADHD, and down syndrome in a variety of settings, including pediatric hospitals, schools, AmeriCorps, Special Olympics, summer camps and day programs, along with research at University of Notre Dame Shaw Center for Children and Families.

Kids & Adolescents

I love working with adolescents and children. A fun fact about me is that I first started therapy in 8th grade and have been with the same therapist throughout my life. I’ve personally seen the lasting, positive impact therapy can make in life, especially when it begins in developmental years. I’ve dedicated my career to giving back, serving kids and adolescents to be their safe space to grow and thrive.

I integrate models of play therapy and art therapy with my younger clients, along with social-emotional therapy.

Through role-play, strengths-based, and motivational interviewing, I work with teens on skills to build confidence within themselves and their communication with friends and family.

I also have am passionate about working with parents, guardians and families. Empowering parents is a key part of a child or adolescents growth, and I understand it’s not always easy and parenting kids when they’re challenged doesn’t follow the usual playbook.

Caregivers & Family Support

Working with individuals with severe and profound developmental delays fueled my passion for advocating and supporting families through their challenges when caring for a child or adult with disabilities.

It’s essential to have someone who understands tough times of transitions, whether it be at the beginning when finding out your child has a disability, the middle as they transition to adolescence/adulthood, or the end when parents are aging and need to think about who will care for their adult child when they cannot.

Many times, siblings and parents of those with disabilities can feel isolated as well. I can help find common connections, build stronger relationships, and create a greater sense of community and belonging.

ADHD, Anxiety & Depression

My personal therapy journey began to focus on challenges with confidence, self-esteem, and social-emotional regulation. During my journey, we realized some of those challenges correlated with ADHD. Once I received a formal diagnosis, it opened the doors for me and made school so much easier with the right tools and accommodations.

I now see how ADHD can be related to so many different challenges, and love helping others discover their super-powers, with the right tips, tools and support. I use a strengths-based approach, empowering clients to build on existing skills while developing new ones to enhance their relationships with themselves and others.

Creativity and play, whether through an art project or games, are some of my favorite ways to connect with clients. I also aim to help clients examine the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors through CBT to develop coping strategies and problem-solving skills.

Through my mental health journey, I discovered yoga to get me out of my mind through movement. I first unrolled my yoga mat eight years ago and have yet to roll it up since. As a certified yoga instructor, I would also love to share mindfulness, meditation, and yoga skills so that you can learn to regulate your body and mind outside a therapeutic setting.

Disabilities & Feeling Marginalized

My work is guided by empathy, understanding, and a deep dedication to creating inclusive environments where everyone feels seen and valued.

Through my own life experiences, I know firsthand how it feels to be left out. I have a heart for those who feel marginalized in society, whether an entire family or an individual. In 7th grade, I moved states, which was a big transition in a critical developmental time. This led me to volunteer with those with disabilities when I was thirteen at Hannah and Friends. There, I could be myself and feel included.

Working with people with disabilities allowed me to easily celebrate everyone’s differences as strengths. If your child is struggling to feel included, I will guide them to find strengths in their differences and gain confidence. The feeling of belonging is connecting and co-regulating with others; it is acceptance and community.

For Fun…

I am an ambassador for Strength in the City and have the opportunity to promote physical and mental health by taking new fitness classes all around the city. It is a great way to move my body, connect with friends, and see different neighborhoods.

In graduate school, I started my own dogsitting business because I would walk a block and run into at least three dogs in the neighborhood. I love to care for people’s pets as if they were my own. One day, I will get my dream dog, an Australian Shepherd, because I know they have high energy and require a lot of exercise for mental stimulation, just like me!

To book an appointment, 847-919-9096 x.1, [email protected]