About Rana V. Michaels, Psy.D. and her independently owned and operated private practice:

Dr. Michaels completed her undergraduate work at The University of Illinois Chicago and received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Illinois School of Professional Psychology.

She has worked for over 30 years in the crisis department of a behavioral health hospital and also served as the administrator of that department. Dr. Michaels has been in private practice for more than 20 years.

While having experience working with people of all ages, Dr. Michaels currently focuses her practice on the treatment of adults and older adults.

Her areas of specialty include: crisis assessment and intervention, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, older adults, stage of life, women’s issues.

Dr. Michaels’ approach to therapy is initially directive and focused on symptom relief and stabilization of mood. After this initial stage of treatment, ongoing therapy is more collaborative and supportive, allowing for the benefit of increased insight and the development of skills needed to cope with each individual’s unique life circumstances.

Dr. Michaels utilizes a number of therapeutic approaches and techniques chosen to best suit each individual’s needs and abilities. Such approaches may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Relaxation Training, and Exposure and Response Prevention. Her expectation is that the patient and therapist both be actively involved in the process of treatment to achieve the best therapeutic results.