Grow Wellness Group

06/18/2026

Vacations are often portrayed as carefree, relaxing, and stress-free. But for many people, that isn't the whole story.
Travel can bring uncertainty, disruptions in routine, family dynamics, financial stress, social pressure, and the feeling that you're supposed to be having the "perfect" experience. When those expectations collide with reality, anxiety can sometimes follow.

If you've ever returned from a vacation feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or wondering why you couldn't fully relax, you're not alone.

In this post, we're exploring vacation anxiety, why it happens, and some ways to approach travel with a little more flexibility, self-compassion, and realistic expectations this summer.

06/16/2026

Pride Month is a celebration of identity, authenticity, resilience, and community.

At Grow Wellness Group, we recognize that feeling safe, seen, and affirmed can have a profound impact on mental health and well-being. We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive space where LGBTQIA+ individuals can receive compassionate, affirming care and support.

While progress has been made, many members of the LGBTQIA+ community continue to face unique challenges that can impact mental health, including discrimination, stigma, isolation, and barriers to care. Everyone deserves access to support that honors who they are and their lived experiences.

This month and every month, we celebrate the diversity, strength, and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community and reaffirm our commitment to providing a space where people can show up as their authentic selves.

Happy Pride Month from all of us at Grow Wellness Group.

06/15/2026

Summer is often viewed as a carefree time for teens. But for many, the break from school can bring its own set of challenges.

Changes in routine, shifts in social connection, increased screen time, sleep disruptions, and feelings of isolation can all have an impact on a teen's emotional well-being during the summer months.

In this post, our therapist Philip Martinez shares insights on some of the unique ways summer can affect teen mental health, along with practical ways parents and caregivers can offer support during this season.
A little awareness can go a long way in helping teens feel connected, supported, and understood. ☀️

06/11/2026

June is Men's Mental Health Month: a time to bring awareness to conversations that too often go unspoken.
Many men grow up receiving messages that they should be self-reliant, push through difficult emotions, or keep their struggles to themselves. While resilience is valuable, emotional well-being is not something anyone should have to navigate alone.

In this post, our therapist Connor Brown shares insights on mental health and masculinity, including some of the unique challenges men face when it comes to vulnerability, emotional expression, asking for support, and breaking free from the expectation to always "have it together."

Because strength doesn't mean staying silent. And seeking support doesn't make someone weak: it makes them human.

06/08/2026

June is PTSD Awareness Month, and we're taking a closer look at one of the most talked-about therapy approaches in mental health: EMDR.

You may have heard the term before, but many people still have questions about what EMDR actually is, how it works, and who it can help.

In this post, our therapist Rachel Koziol answers some of the most common questions about EMDR therapy, including its role in trauma recovery, how it differs from traditional talk therapy, and why it has become such a widely used treatment approach.,

Whether you're curious about EMDR for yourself or simply interested in learning more, we hope this helps bring greater understanding to a therapy modality that has helped many people move toward healing and recovery.

06/04/2026

Our 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 is now available and includes updates from the Grow Wellness Group community, mental health resources, practice highlights, and ways we're continuing to support individuals and families throughout our communities.

Take a few minutes to catch up with us and see what's blooming this season.
✨ Read more: https://www.growwellnessgroup.com/blog-posts/grow-wellness-group-quarterly-newsletter-spring-2026

𝗧𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀:
𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹: 331-457-2020
𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹: [email protected]
𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: growwellnessgroup.com

Exciting Updates on Grow Wellness Services, Community Programs & Resources for YOU

06/04/2026

✨ Clinician Spotlight: Stacey Patterson, LCSW ✨
We’re excited to introduce Stacey Patterson, LCSW, a compassionate and trauma-informed therapist who helps clients better understand themselves, heal from past experiences, and create meaningful change in their lives.

Stacey specializes in working with individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, emotional regulation, addiction, relationship challenges, self-worth concerns, life transitions, and nervous system dysregulation. She is especially passionate about helping clients uncover the deeper patterns behind overthinking, people-pleasing, perfectionism, burnout, codependency, addictive behaviors, and feeling emotionally stuck.

Her approach is integrative and personalized, drawing from evidence-based modalities including Internal Family Systems (IFS), CBT, DBT, ACT, attachment-based work, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation techniques. Stacey also incorporates psychoeducation and neuroscience-informed perspectives to help clients better understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and nervous system responses.

Whether you're working through a difficult season, healing from past experiences, or looking to better understand yourself, Stacey provides a supportive space to help you move forward with greater clarity, resilience, and self-compassion.

To learn more about Stacey or schedule an appointment, visit our website or contact our office today

06/02/2026

In a new blog post, therapist Wynne Lacey, LCPC, explores Discernment Counseling: a specialized approach designed specifically for couples who are uncertain about the future of their relationship. Unlike traditional couples therapy, Discernment Counseling helps couples gain clarity about whether to work toward repairing the relationship, move toward separation, or continue as they are.

Wynne walks through what the process looks like, who it's designed for, and why clarity, not pressure, is at the heart of this work.

If you or someone you love is navigating uncertainty in a relationship, this service offers valuable insight into a path that many people don't realize exists.

Read the full blog here:
https://www.growwellnessgroup.com/blog-posts/discernment-counseling-for-couples

Discernment Counseling is a short-term, highly specific process for couples where one person is leaning out of the relationship and the other is leaning in. The goal is not to solve your marital problems. It's to find out whether they're solvable, and whether both of you have the will to do what sol...

05/26/2026

This Mental Health Awareness Month, therapist Adam Ratner wrote a powerful new blog post highlighting an important conversation around mental health awareness and su***de prevention featuring our own Philip Martinez, LCPC.

In the post, Adam reflects on Philip’s recent appearance on WLS 890AM with Ray Stevens, where they discussed su***de prevention, stigma surrounding mental health, warning signs to look for, and the importance of creating more open conversations around seeking support.

Adam also shares more about Philip’s 30 years of clinical experience, his longstanding work with teenagers, young adults, and families, and his more than two decades of involvement with the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention, where he currently serves as Board Chair for the Illinois chapter.

You can follow the link within the blog post to listen to Philip’s full radio interview.

Read the full blog here and listen to the podcast HERE:
https://www.growwellnessgroup.com/blog-posts/philip-martinez-on-ray-stevens-mental-health-awareness-month-and-su***de-prevention

***dePrevention ***dePrevention

May is Mental Health Awareness Month — and this year, one of our own at Grow Wellness Group took that message to one of the largest talk radio audiences in Chicago.Philip Martinez, LCPC, therapist at Grow Wellness Group in Naperville, joined Ray Stevens on WLS890AM during the 8 AM hour on Monday, ...

05/19/2026

The transition from high school to college is exciting . But it can also bring anxiety, pressure, uncertainty, and major emotional adjustment for both students and families.

In this new blog post, our therapist and co-owner Adam Ratner explores the often overlooked mental health side of this transition, including identity shifts, social pressure, stress, independence, and the emotional complexity that can come with leaving familiar routines behind.

Adam brings valuable clinical insight and experience working closely with teens, young adults, and families navigating major life transitions. His perspective offers both practical guidance and reassurance for students and parents entering this next chapter.

Read the full blog here:
https://www.growwellnessgroup.com/blog-posts/transitioning-high-school-to-college-mental-health-guide-for-students-families-naperville-and-chicago