800-784-1361
I'm grateful for this place and for my therapist. She is the best, she has helped and taught me so much through my recovery process, and she always makes sure I feel comfortable when receiving therapy. Thank you Authentic Living for your support, I'm doing better because of ...
About Center For Authentic Living
The Center for Authentic Living provides outpatient care on a self payment basis for adults and adolescents with mental health and substance use issues. LGBTQIA+ clients have a chance to explore their identities with support from a queer identified therapist. They’re based in Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
Substance use counselors also support folks facing challenges like eating disorders, gambling and other harmful behaviors. Treatment plans include diagnosis, detoxification, management and counseling. Counselors are CADC certified and work with SMART recovery, helping in moments of crisis as well as providing guidance for long term healing.
Complementary Interventions
They use interventions like psychedelics for alcohol and nicotine dependence, as well as anxiety and PTSD. I like that they have accredited healing touch practitioners who use energy techniques to restore the body’s natural flow in support of your healing process. Women can connect, heal and inspire one another in healing circles to encourage personal growth and build community bonds.
They also offer trauma informed yoga, acupuncture and Zen Shiatsu. Therapy dogs are there to provide you with comfort and supportive wagging tails. Intervention services assist families and friends in guiding loved ones toward treatment, and aftercare support can include help with living arrangements and career counseling.
Commitment to Client Care
Clients say they appreciate the compassionate staff, holistic approach and welcoming environment. One client noted, “What sets this practice apart is the genuine care and compassion that’s felt in every interaction. Their approach is not only insightful and evidence based, but also deeply human.” Some reviews mention scheduling problems or cancellations, but most people appreciate how much they care about their clients.
Convenient Access to Transportation and Resources
Park Ridge has the Pickwick Theatre, an art deco landmark where you can catch movies, plays and concerts. The Park Ridge Public Library is a quiet place to read and think, and Centennial Park gives you open green space to relax and enjoy outdoor activities. It’s close to O’Hare International Airport, major expressways and rail lines, with calm surroundings and local resources that can support healing and recovery.
Latest Reviews
I have been receiving counseling from Meghann Richko for 5 years now. Meghann has helped me in countless ways. She really listens to my needs and helps me target what areas I need/want to work on. Meghann has helped me through periods of deep grief and confusion. She has provided a safe space for me to feel heard without bias. I would highly recommend Meghann to anyone looking for an experienced and kind counselor that makes therapy a light and meaningful experience.
Dr Mari’s practice offers such a unique and supportive environment for their patients. You can feel the warmth and commitment from the whole team- these providers are passionate about the work they do and go out of their way to provide integrative support. The combination of offering many modalities and the very human approach to caring for their clients makes this practice such a special place.
I would highly recommend The Center for Authentic Living to everyone! Dr. Mari helped me work through years of unhealed trauma, depression and PTSD. There is no judement just compassion in dealing with complex and everyday issues! And Nehla the great dane who I swear is an angel with four legs!! The atmosphere is comfortable, peaceful and a loving space to deal and resolve painful issues.
Rehab Score
Our Methodology
Scoring is assigned by a proprietary system which helps surface key metrics that determine quality. The 10-point scale factors in categories such as operations, customer satisfaction, and trust metrics. Read Full Methodology
6.8 / 10
Other Forms of Payment
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient
Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.
Intervention Services
Intervention services helps family or friends of addicts stage an intervention, which is a meeting in which loved ones share their concerns and attempt to get an addict into treatment. Professional intervention specialists can help loved ones organize, gather, and communicate with an addict. They can guide intervention participants in describing the damage the addict's behavior is causing and that outside help is necessary to address the addiction. The ideal outcome of an intervention is for the addict to go to rehab and get the help they need.
Aftercare Support
Completing a drug or alcohol rehab program shouldn't spell the end of substance abuse treatment. Aftercare involves making a sustainable plan for recovery, including ongoing support. This can include sober living arrangements like halfway houses, career counseling, and setting a patient up with community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Treatments
The goal of treatment for alcoholism is abstinence. Those with poor social support, poor motivation, or psychiatric disorders tend to relapse within a few years of treatment. For these people, success is measured by longer periods of abstinence, reduced use of alcohol, better health, and improved social functioning. Recovery and Maintenance are usually based on 12 step programs and AA meetings.
Drug rehab in Illinois is designed to help people recover from addiction to a number of substances. The length of each program and its intensity tend to vary, and the plan of care is based on your individual needs.
A combined mental health and substance abuse rehab has the staff and resources available to handle individuals with both mental health and substance abuse issues. It can be challenging to determine where a specific symptom stems from (a mental health issue or an issue related to substance abuse), so mental health and substance abuse professionals are helpful in detangling symptoms and keeping treatment on track.
Opioid rehabs specialize in supporting those recovering from opioid addiction. They treat those suffering from addiction to illegal opioids like heroin, as well as prescription drugs like oxycodone. These centers typically combine both physical as well as mental and emotional support to help stop addiction. Physical support often includes medical detox and subsequent medical support (including medication), and mental support includes in-depth therapy to address the underlying causes of addiction.
Programs
Adult Program
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Young Adult Program
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Clinical Services
Animal therapy (aka pet therapy or animal-assisted therapy) can be very healing, as it allows patients to bond with animals, who give unconditional love. This is particularly useful for those who suffered trauma by the hands of people, who may be able to trust and form closer attachments to animals than humans at certain stages of rehabilitation. They have two loving therapy dogs.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
Eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and dysfunctional eating patterns. Many psychologists and other mental health professionals consider eating disorders to be food addictions, meaning food is being used in an addictive way (similar to drug or alcohol addiction). Certain substance abuse treatment programs will have treatment for eating disorders as one of the services offered. An eating disorder may also present as a co-occuring disorder or dual diagnosis alongside drug and alcohol addiction.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Amenities
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Private Setting -
Yoga Studio
Staff & Accreditations
Staff
Dr. Mari Schnitzius-Richko, ND, LCPC, CYI, ABT, PATP
Founder & Clinical Director
Julia Matson, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Amy Yang, MD.
Psychiatrist
Cheryl Ramos, MS, LPC, CADC, CODPI, NCC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Accreditations
State Licenses are permits issued by government agencies that allow rehab organizations to conduct business legally within a certain geographical area. Typically, the kind of program a rehab facility offers, along with its physical location, determines which licenses are required to operate legally.
State License: Illinois
Contact Information
120 Main Street
Suite 200
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Get Help Now - 708-470-6914
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Fact checked and written by:
Stephanie Trahd
Edited by:
Peter Lee, PhD
Rehab in Cities Near Park Ridge
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