Shalayne McMillian

She / Her / Hers

Chicago

Clinical License

Illinois LSW 150.015262

Supervising Clinician: Alexandra Hoerr, IL 180.010561

Education

M.A. in Social Work, Aurora University, Aurora, IL

B.A. in Psychology with minor in Sociology, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

A green decorative plant in a wooden vase.

Specialities

Couples Therapy
Life Transitions
Conflict Resolution
Racial Concerns & Trauma
Anxiety & Depression

Techniques

Mindfulness & Acceptance
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Narrative Therapy

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I became a mental health therapist to reach those who need a space to talk, feel, laugh, cry, and grow on their own time. My goal is to provide a safe and nurturing environment as a Black woman. I aim to be available, ready to listen, understand, encourage, educate, and advocate for Blacks/POC in a way that may not always be readily accessible. I believe that everyone deserves a place where they can feel confident by simply being themselves. Throughout my journey, I have had the privilege of working with individuals and couples from diverse backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders, guiding them to discover their true selves, understand their needs, learn to ask for help, and prioritize their mental and emotional well-being.

I have dreamed of this since I was 15 years old, and I continue to love the importance of mental health. I focus on relationship development and maintenance, individual self-love, trauma, family dysfunction, mindfulness and acceptance, and life transitions by using a direct approach that demonstrates commitment, respect for their current emotional state, and understanding of their mental health. My personal goal is to create space for them to find their “why” and identify ways to cope with their stressors.

“I never thought I would feel comfortable letting someone see me and my husband argue and admit that things were not perfect. Working with you has made this relationship feel normal again”

“You helped me save my life”

“I made a post today on social media. This is usually not something I would be comfortable doing, but I felt really compelled after our conversation so I had my roommate take a photo of me and I posted this! I am super proud of my progress and I plan to keep working over the next few weeks”

Reviews

Our clients’ stories

What led you to become a therapist?
Hi, I’m Shalyane McMillan, a therapist here at Optimum Joy. A little bit about myself—the reason I got into being a therapist is at a very young age, I think I was probably 14 or 15, my parents became foster parents. And with my mom being deaf and a stay-at-home mom, my dad traveling a lot for work, it was me as the youngest child that helped out the most. So I sat in all the meetings, I sat in on all the phone calls, made sure my mom understood everything, made sure I was able to interpret for her.
And that’s when I realized, like, I kind of like being in this room. I really enjoyed seeing what actually was taking place, like what’s the behind the scenes in fostering. Where I saw a need was after the foster care placement took place, and that was to help these kids talk to someone, have a therapist to talk about what they’ve gone through, what they’re still going through, and someone who didn’t already know their story.
What is your favorite part of the therapeutic process?
My favorite thing about being a therapist is simply just being in the room when all of my clients find joy in their lives. It’s not always easy, it’s not always comfortable, but when that moment hits that you realize, “this is why I came here and I want to come back,” that’s why I do this.
What do you enjoy doing in your time outside the office?
Something that I enjoy doing outside of being a therapist is spending time with my kids, my husband, and my friends. I love living in Chicago, I love summertime in Chicago, and so typically we are going to neighborhood festivals, walking to the park, just enjoying the outdoor weather. So you can always find me outside doing something.
Something else that I enjoy doing outside of being a therapist is traveling. My husband and I love, love going places. We try to take our kids on as many trips as we can just to get them to see different cultures, see different parts of the world. Another thing that I love to do is try new restaurants. I love sitting down, spending time with my family, spending time with my friends, enjoying a nice meal, big or small. A mom and pop place, a hole in the wall, a fancy seafood dinner, anything—sign me up.
What brings you joy?
What brings me joy is my kids. I love watching them grow. I love spending time with them. I love playing with them. I love spending time with my husband, my family, my friends. Weekends are always spent with someone. I’m almost never alone. And so just being around people, being around my friends, being around my family, that’s what I love to do.
Which populations do you feel most passionate about serving?
Some of the populations that I like to meet with would be individuals and couples. Part of the reason I got into being a therapist was to give back to the black community. I love meeting with young black men and women, giving them a space to feel safe, giving them a space to feel like they have someone to talk to that truly understands what they’re going through.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not open to other populations. Any emerging adult, anyone going through a transitional time in your life, whether that is a new job, a change in your relationship status, some family dysfunction, new friends, a new apartment, anything. Those times bring up a lot of questions, sometimes can feel a little isolating. I know it can be tough.
What would you say to someone who is hesitant about therapy?
What I would tell someone who is hesitant about going to therapy is just start. It is not always this daunting place. It can be fun. It can be enjoyable. You can laugh. Yes, you can cry. Yes, you can get angry in sessions. Yes, you’re going to talk about the tough stuff, but truly it can be fun. And so that’s what I say to clients is, “are you enjoying this time? Like, are you actually wanting to come talk with me or talk to whoever your therapist is?” And most of the time, the answer ends up being yes.
Sit back and just ask yourself if you have asked yourself the question, “should I go to therapy?” The answer is probably yes. There will be times where it’s tough. There will be times that you cry, you get angry, upset, uncomfortable. But I do believe that at the end, you will feel joy and you will enjoy the experience.