Jennifer Vandigo, LCSW

Jennifer Vandigo is a licensed clinical social worker with eight years of practice in Illinois. She focuses on helping people find more calm, clearer relationships, and stronger self-worth. Jennifer brings a warm, straightforward style and aims to make therapy feel practical and usable for day-to-day life.

She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with client-centered and emotionally-focused ideas to help people notice patterns and shift unhelpful thinking. Sessions center on real problems and small steps that can change how someone feels. She also draws on mindfulness and existential approaches when people need help with meaning and stress management.

Jennifer has worked in a range of settings and with many life challenges, including depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, parenting strain, and ADHD. Her background includes program leadership and community work, which shaped a hands-on approach to solving problems and supporting people through change.

In sessions she aims to create a calm, respectful atmosphere. She listens first to understand what matters to each person. Then she offers tools, feedback, and homework that fit the person’s daily life.

People who choose her often want concrete strategies for stress, better ways to manage relationships, or help rebuilding after loss or trauma. She invites collaboration and helps people move toward clearer goals and steadier coping over time.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Jennifer integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and behaviors; this approach is useful for anxiety, depression, and everyday stress. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a listening, nonjudgmental space where people decide what matters and move at their own pace. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is used when the focus is on improving connection and understanding emotional responses in close relationships.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist collaborates with each person to set goals and choose methods that match their needs and preferences. That collaboration might mean trying a CBT skill for a few sessions, then shifting to mindfulness or emotionally-focused work based on progress and comfort.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and shared exercises. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for brief check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging let people check in between sessions, track small wins, or reframe thoughts as situations arise. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or caregiving schedules while keeping the focus on steady progress.