Dr. Wende Pannell, LCPC

Dr. Wende Pannell helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, or relationship strain. She is an Illinois licensed clinical professional counselor with 22 years of experience who aims to make therapy clear and practical. Her style is direct but warm, focused on small changes that add up over time.

She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is often part of her work when clients want to clarify values and build a life that matters despite painful feelings. Attachment-based ideas guide conversations about how early relationships shape current patterns.

In session she focuses on concrete skills - emotion regulation, communication practice, and behavioral experiments. Clients often work on coping with life changes, grief, or the fallout from trauma and abuse. She also addresses issues such as ADHD, chronic illness and caregiver stress, and compassion fatigue.

Pannell pays attention to practical barriers that get in the way of progress, such as money worries or work pressure. She helps people set manageable goals and try exercises between sessions. Therapy aims to build steadier mood, clearer perspective, and better everyday coping.

Her work includes support for relationship concerns, self-esteem rebuilding, and career questions. Sessions are offered in English and provided through video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging for flexible access.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Dr. Pannell commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT focuses on practical exercises and short experiments that fit well into video or phone sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is another approach she uses to help people clarify values and take committed action even when difficult emotions are present. ACT encourages small, value-driven steps that can be practiced between appointments.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the client to decide which methods match their goals and preferences, and adjust the plan over time based on how things are progressing. Clients often combine skill work, values exploration, and attachment-focused discussion depending on the issue at hand.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face interaction for skill practice and role play, while phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited or someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and messaging can be used for brief check-ins, homework support, or when a shorter, more flexible touchpoint is needed. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and maintain continuity between sessions.