Laila Ashkazari

Laila Ashkazari-Jones is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Illinois and Tennessee. Laila works with adolescents and adults. Many of her clients bring in emotional pain, whether symptoms of depression and anxiety or more complex trauma. Laila is particularly sensitive to clients facing transitional phases of life, like job loss, or breakup, when the delicate balance can seem to tremble, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and self-doubt can emerge. Together, she supports clients to pull back the layers of present challenges in order to release painful past experiences and re-engage with their careers, their loved ones, and themselves in more meaningful ways. Laila’s approach is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidence-based approach that focuses on helping clients understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, so that they can begin to make targeted change. She works to help clients understand their physical response to external stressors, and begin to problem-solve ways to introduce moments of calm, to choose to respond rather than react in the face of change. She draws from her training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Play Therapy in order to expand clients’ internal and external resources for healing, rest, and joy. Laila’s first priority in starting with a new client is ensuring that they feel safe, heard, and like an equal partner in the therapeutic process. As a seasoned telehealth provider, she offers the convenience of remote sessions to help make therapy a core component of your self-care calendar. Laila is also bilingual and fluent in Spanish.