Pamela Larkin
Therapeutic Orientation & Techniques
Attachment Theory
Emotion-Focused
Motivational Interviewing
Mindfulness & Acceptance
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Areas of Specialty
Women’s Concerns
African-American / Black Concerns
Professional Background
Illinois LCPC 180.009549
M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL
B.S. in Science in Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
B.S. Concentration in Human Development and Psychological Service, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Locations: Virtual Illinois
Pronouns: She / Her / Hers
Identity, purpose, connection and relationships.
We all struggle with wondering who we are and what we are here for! This is part of being human for us all. Unfortunately, if you are struggling it can feel horrible and influence the lens you see the world through.
I don’t know what you’re looking for and what has brought you to a place of needing support. Maybe you’re looking for healing and restoration around a painful event or relationships. Are you searching for your voice and an opportunity to change the world? Your faith and spirituality are important to you, but do you experience disconnect in knowing how to live a transformed life? Do you just want to be a more authentic person and know counseling helps in some way with that?
Thankfully, whatever is bringing you here does not have to be examined on your own. The truth is, with counseling you don’t have to be alone. You and I will pull the resources, both from your experience and my expertise as a helper (including books, videos, and podcasts, music, etc.), to transform and empower you. If we find an opportunity for you to grow in, we’ll practice together. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll seek it out. Feeling hopeless, insecure, fatigued, or anxious isn’t the end. There is capacity for hope, healing, voice, confidence, and empowerment.
I’m grateful to have experienced growth and transformation in my own life. It came from the help and comfort of a counselor who offered validation, normalized my nerves, created a calm space, and led me to new ways of thinking. Counseling helped me be a more compassionate and empowered individual, and in his office I grew in confidence as a black, Christian woman. My personal experiences around identity development, makes me especially passionate about encouraging people of color to explore and establish personal identity. Whether our experiences are the same or different, growth in your personal identity is my top priority. Growing in confidence and becoming your most authentic self is so important. It is difficult to be a person of color, and I love partnering with people to fight against feeling small, marginalized, misunderstood, and underappreciated. A therapeutic relationship is the comfort I hope to extend towards you. Your identity is your strength.
Women have always inspired me. Married, single, pregnant, not pregnant, leader, supporter, young, mature, mother, daughter, friend, spouse. We could go on and on. The spectrum of issues women are facing and roles we engage in are unique and worth recognition. In all of these we will explore your unique attachment style and how that is currently playing out in your relationships. Attachment is your learned way of coping and connecting. Question is: is it really working for you? My guess is that it both is and is not, but we can work with that! All people and relationships can be made new and well.
Articles by Pamela
Window of Tolerance: Hyper-arousal
Not too long ago, I wrote about the Window of Tolerance. The Window of Tolerance is the space where we feel “just right” for managing our feelings and experiences. When we don’t feel physiologically overwhelmed, and can therefore be our best selves. Since then, we’ve...
A Painful Goodbye
There are few things in life that I would say are true, but in this case it fits the bill. Growing a baby is a miracle. New life forming over the course of 9 months is one of the greatest mysteries the world has ever known. But, what happens when that new life ends...
[VIDEO] Dating in COVID with Therapist Pamela Larkin
Has love been thwarted by COVID? Thankfully no! Pamela Larkin, a therapist at Optimum Joy, loves love! She works with people in relationships from an attachment perspective. In this interview Pam and Alex reflect on COVID dating, some snags in people's plans, and how...