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WS Portrait of William Swieringa

William Swieringa

Practical, experienced guidance for life transitions

LCSW Illinois

Experience
39 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages
English

About William

William Swieringa is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 39 years of clinical experience helping people navigate difficult life moments and emotional challenges. He draws on a blend of cognitive behavioral techniques, acceptance-oriented strategies, and mindfulness practices to offer practical tools alongside reflective exploration.

Background and approach

His work often addresses anxiety, mood concerns, addictive behaviors, trauma and grief, and issues around intimacy and self-esteem. Clients can expect a composed, structured approach that balances skill-building and deeper meaning-making.

William emphasizes collaboration, helping individuals set clear goals while also attending to underlying patterns such as attachment difficulties, codependency, and responses to chronic illness or caregiving stress. He also brings experience with workplace-related stress, parenting and family transitions, and a range of concerns from sleep and eating problems to bipolar and grief reactions.

William practices in Illinois and accepts international clients in English. He maintains a flexible online practice offering video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, and works within a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

Prospective clients begin by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a brief matching questionnaire to schedule according to his availability.

How his approaches translate to online therapy

William integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into online work to provide both practical skills and values-focused change. CBT involves identifying and adjusting unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms like anxiety and insomnia, while ACT encourages acceptance of difficult thoughts and commitment to actions aligned with personal values to address issues such as depression, burnout, or life transitions.

He also uses mindfulness-based practices to help clients build present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity; these brief exercises fit well into video or messaging formats and support stress reduction and emotional regulation. Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process - he works with clients to assess needs, goals, and preferences and adapts methods over time so therapy remains responsive and relevant.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase convenience and access. These formats allow for flexible scheduling, easier integration into busy lives, and ongoing support between appointments when useful, while maintaining the same therapeutic aims as in-person work.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does he address?
He works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, mood disorders like depression and bipolar, and caregiving or chronic illness stress.
What is his therapeutic style and approach?
He uses a structured, collaborative style combining cognitive behavioral techniques, acceptance-based methods, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and narrative or existential exploration tailored to client needs.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He brings 39 years of professional experience working with diverse emotional and life transition challenges.
Where is he licensed and practicing?
He is an LCSW licensed in Illinois with licence number IL LCSW 149.010142 and offers services while based in Illinois.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are provided in English, and he does accept international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
He provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to meet different communication preferences.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are delivered through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesCoachingADHD

Also works with

LGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapySystemic Therapy

Experience

39+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English