Missy Hem

Missy Hem is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and specializes in practice with people in the perinatal stage of life: pregnancy, postpartum, and adjustment to parenthood. Ideal clients for Missy include folks who are are suffering from persistent mood changes such as anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, high levels of stress, or panic. They may have experienced infertility, pregnancy or infant loss, high risk pregnancy, medical complications, a traumatic birth experience, a NICU stay for their newborn. Others seek out perinatal therapy when parenthood places a strain on their partnership or family relationships, or if they had a difficult childhood themselves and are revisiting those experiences from a new perspective.

Missy believes that a safe, trusting relationship between a client and therapist is essential. Missy utilizes Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian therapy), in which the client and the therapist are equal partners in the therapeutic relationship, and the client is considered an expert in their own experience. In this approach, Missy helps clients by listening without judgment, empathizing with their experience, helping clients accept negative emotions, and decreasing clients' feelings of guilt and defensiveness. This type of therapy encourages clients to think about life in new ways and consider different viewpoints and ways of being. Missy also incorporates mindful breathing and body awareness, and sometimes uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help recognize and change negative thought patterns.

Prior to opening her private practice, Missy worked as a Doula and Childbirth Educator for six years, which helped her understand the myriad challenges parents face when they are growing their families. Missy became a Perinatal Mental Health certified therapist through Postpartum Support International, and also took additional trainings in Pregnancy Loss, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Missy's office is in Batavia IL and she offers telehealth to Illinois residents