Shirley Khong
LCPC
She/Her/Hers
Self Compassion Counseling
Accepting new clients
Contact provider
Licensed states
Illinois
At a glance
Services Provided
Couples Therapy
Individual Therapy
Individual Therapy
Ages Served
Adults (18+)
Older Adults (65+)
Young Adults (18-25)
Older Adults (65+)
Young Adults (18-25)
Languages Spoken
Cantonese
English
English
Gender Identity
Woman
Faith Communities Served
Buddhist
Christian
Christian
Telehealth Availability:
Telehealth availability: Mondays - Thursdays: 10 am - 4 pm, and Fridays: 10 am - 1 pm.
About this provider
Clients I Work With
If you have spent years putting others first, as a high-achiever, a people-pleaser, or a caregiver who keeps showing up for everyone else while quietly running on empty, you are exactly who I work with.
I specialize in working with women who have recently experienced a breakup or divorce and are exploring their sexuality, rebuilding their sense of self, and navigating new relationships. They are often afraid of being a burden to others, struggle to prioritize their own needs, or have spent years putting their partner’s needs before their own. They’re ready to make changes so they don’t repeat the same patterns, especially if they’ve often betrayed their own needs to keep the peace, maintain a relationship, or avoid disappointing others.
Together, we can explore what they want from their relationships and their lives, while learning to trust themselves and honor their needs without the guilt.
Approach
You don't have to perform or present a polished version of yourself here. We slow down to understand what happened, the patterns that played a role, where they may have come from, and what you actually want your life and relationships to look like going forward.
Using an IFS-informed and psychodynamic approach, we explore the parts of you that have learned to keep the peace, meet others’ needs, avoid conflict, or protect you from disappointment. Together, we’ll develop a deeper understanding of what you need and want for yourself, while building the skills to communicate your needs and boundaries.
You can begin telling a new story, at your own pace, in a space where your emotions, questions about relationships and sexuality, and uncomfortable experiences won’t scare me away.
Beliefs & Lived Experience
This work is deeply personal to me. Growing up as a second-generation Chinese-Vietnamese American, I was always curious about why certain emotions felt so overwhelming and how unspoken pain could lead to conflict, distance, or broken relationships. I saw it in my own family and community, where seeking support, let alone therapy, was often viewed as a weakness or met with “you’re crazy.”
I knew there had to be a better way, so I followed my heart and curiosity to unlearn unhealthy behaviors and create safe spaces for myself, to be a better spouse to my partner and parent to my future children. I saw how destructive these patterns could be, and I didn’t want negative self-talk, fear-based beliefs, or the unspoken pain to continue. This experience shapes how I show up as a therapist: you can honor where you come from while choosing what you want to carry forward.
Additional Credentials & Training
Internal Family Systems training: IFS in Challenging Times (completed 8/21/26)
Suicide Assessment and Prevention training (completed 7/27/26)
Stress, Trauma, and the Pelvic Floor: What Mental Health Clinicians Should Know (completed 7/22/26)
Trauma and Trance: From Shamanism to Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (completed 7/10/26)
From Trauma to Transformation: Somatic Practices for Individual and Collective Grief (completed 5/15/26)
2025 IFS Healing the Trauma-Addiction Cycle: Key IFS Strategies (completed 1/2/26)
Specialties & approaches
Specialties
AgingAnger ManagementAnxietyAttachmentBurnoutDepressionDivorceGriefHighly Sensitive People (HSP)Immigrant & Refugee Mental HealthLife TransitionsMen’s Mental HealthPanicPerfectionismRelationship IssuesSelf EsteemTrauma & PTSDWomen’s Mental Health
Therapy approaches
Attachment-BasedInternal Family Systems (IFS)Psychodynamic Therapy
Specialized Experience
Artists & Creative ProfessionalsAsian / Asian American clientsBIPOC clientsBiracial / Multiracial clientsCaregiversEntrepreneurs & ExecutivesSouth Asian clients
Fees & insurance
Session Fees
$150
$310
Payment Accepted
Cash
Credit
Out of Network (Superbills Provided)
Insurance Accepted
Blue Choice PPOBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)