Kayla Harlan

(SHE/HER)

THERAPIST

MSW, P-LSW, P-CADC

IL telehealth or in-person

Hey there, I am Kayla Harlan. I am a Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC) and trauma-informed yoga teacher (RYT). I received my training at Loyola University in Chicago, IL. 

Whether you’re working on stabilizing and treating substance use and/or maladaptive coping patterns, healing your relationship to your body/mind and your Self, or you’re working on managing your life and relationships differently, I want you to walk out of a therapy session with me feeling a little more seen and a little more heard. I approach our relationship in a way that honors and respects your own inner wisdom and personal values. I am passionate about meeting people where they are and believe the healing journey can be empowering, life-giving and maybe even a little joyful. 

I have worked in a variety of different settings and with individuals across the lifespan, whether that was teaching yoga in the men’s unit at Cook County Correctional Facility, working with neurodivergent teens in a residential facility or doing group substance use/addiction therapy on the West side of Chicago. I draw from an eclectic variety of therapeutic practices and work from an integrative, holistic, mind-body-spirit point of view. My social work training grounds me with an overall awareness of social justice issues and the ways in which a person is affected by their environment. Some of the theories and modalities I utilize include somatic, body-based awareness, nervous system regulation, relational attunement, attachment theory, systems theory, yogic principles (breathwork, mindfulness, meditation) and CBT and DBT coping tools.

I come to our sessions with an open and curious spirit, a dedication to radical honesty and a desire to honor your inner knowing. It’s important to me that you to feel empowered by the work we do together. I approach substance use/ addiction recovery via a strengths based, shame resilient perspective and I advocate for harm reduction measures first and foremost. There are so many different flavors of recovery and healing… It is possible to heal from the maladaptive behaviors we use to self-soothe. I want you to come into the therapy room and be you, wherever you’re at on your journey. I can’t wait to meet you.