LIZ POLTORATSKY, MA, LSW

(she/they)

Languages: English

* Welcome *

No matter who you are, you deserve care, support, and compassion. I welcome my clients to show up as they are. I see myself as a passenger on your journey. We will work together to imagine what healing looks like, and tap into the joy and strengths you already have. By incorporating play, spirituality, and art, my clients and I can create holistic care that is decolonized and unstigmatized.

* My Focus *

I specialize in working with queer and gender expansive individuals who are facing challenges related to trauma and PTSD, substance use, depression, anxiety, or just having a difficult time adjusting to life transitions. We will work together to explore your mind and body, gain coping skills, and manage stress. I also offer relationship therapy to queer and polyamorous partners, and I support the exploration of BDSM, kink, and non-monogamy.

* My Approach *

My therapeutic approach is rooted in decolonized, holistic, and integrative care. It is shaped by feminist, humanistic, and intersectionality theories. I rely on established and emerging evidence based practices of working with trauma, gender, and sexuality. Some of the interventions I use are Mindfulness-Based CBT, DBT, ACT, EFT, Motivational Interviewing, and the Gottman method. I incorporate mindfulness, meditation, and somatic experiencing into each session.

* My Philosophy on Therapy *

I strive to create a safe space that embraces the true you and allows you to heal your inner child. I believe that therapy is inherently political. By centering the client and taking a step away from the disease model to a holistic and humanistic vision of care, I strive to disrupt the pattern of harmful therapeutic relationships. I believe healing can only happen in spaces that are safe and truly yours.

* Credentials & EXPERIENCE *

  • LSW in Illinois

  • BS in Applied Psychology and Child & Adolescent Health, New York University

  • MA in Social Work, University of Illinois in Chicago

I am also a certified Integrated Behavioral Health Provider.

* More About Me *

As an immigrant myself and a child of two Soviet folks, I bring non-Western influences into my practice while embracing radical self-love and self-acceptance at the same time. I am a big lover of cats, lavender, yoga, and cold brew.