Summer is in full swing, and we have been busy providing counseling and psychotherapy services for adults and teens in our Northfield and Oak Lawn offices and via telehealth throughout the state of Illinois.

Get to know Allison Deckinga, LCPC!

Allison specializes in eating disorders and body image concerns, as well as a variety of mental health issues including depression and anxiety. Allison is currently expanding her caseload and is welcoming new teen and adult clients.

🔍 More about Allison and her approach to therapy:

What inspired you to become a therapist?

I was inspired to become a therapist while working in a residential treatment center after undergraduate school. I really enjoyed working with adolescents and learned a lot during my time there for four years. After starting my first job post-masters at another eating disorder treatment facility, I decided to move forward with specializing in eating disorders. 

What drew you to specialize in eating disorders and body image concerns?

Getting to work more in depth with eating disorders at higher levels of care inspired me to further education by completing my CEDS (Certified Eating Disorder Specialist). I enjoy supporting clients in understanding barriers to body acceptance and learning about body neutrality. I think it can be freeing to acknowledge that body positivity might not always be realistic for people but that body neutrality can feel achievable. Neutrality focuses on what our bodies are capable of versus focusing on appearance. I find this can be helpful for clients to understand, and they often express more desire to learn ways to incorporate this concept. 

How do you approach therapy with teens versus adults?

With both teens and adults, I like to use humor as a way to connect. It’s important for me to demonstrate authenticity for all my clients in order to help them feel safe and heard. I might try to relate more with my teen clients by acting like I know what labubu’s are. 

What’s one common myth about eating disorders that you wish more people understood?

One myth I wish people understood was that there is no one specific look for an eating disorder. You can’t look at someone and determine whether or not they struggle with one. People tend to base their ideas of eating disorders on what they see on TV, but more times than not, entertainment isn’t an accurate representation. Eating disorders are silent, secretive, and sneaky; it’s important for us to remember that anyone of any age, sex, gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, and ability can experience an eating disorder. Once we can acknowledge that, we can make room for increased awareness and ways to support. 

How do you support clients struggling with both trauma and disordered eating?

When I have clients that experience both an eating disorder and trauma, one of the first things I do is to share how common it is for people experiencing eating disorders to have faced some form of trauma and to validate their experience. I think it’s important to focus on helping my clients feel safe while also acknowledging that therapy is often uncomfortable. I try to educate them on different types of symptoms related to trauma so that they can be aware and identify what they are experiencing. 

How do you help clients build a more compassionate relationship with their bodies?

I try to help clients build a more compassionate relationship with their bodies in several ways. One, I will admit I enjoy using workbooks! There are so many fantastic resources out there that go in depth with tackling body image struggles. I like to talk about self-compassion as a way to decrease negative body talk; this doesn’t mean we constantly have to speak about ourselves in a highly positive way, but more so I try to help us zoom out and explore whether the negative talk is helpful. What would happen if we were less harsh on ourselves? What would it be like to work towards accepting our bodies in the current moment? Learning how to practice self-care is also important. 

What’s your perspective on healing—how do you define it in your work with clients?My perspective is that recovery isn’t linear. Healing also isn’t all-or-nothing, because we’re going to have some days filled with motivation and other days when we can barely get out of bed. Meeting people where they’re at in their change process is important, and I recognize that healing for one person will look different from the next. 

What do you want potential clients to know about starting therapy?

Starting therapy is truly a journey. It’s a process that includes both the client and therapist increasing understanding, learning more about ourselves, and sitting in the discomfort. You won’t always walk away from a session feeling great- and that’s okay! We’re meant to be challenged in therapy because that’s how we grow. 

💬 Just for fun:

What’s one book or podcast you always recommend?

I will often recommend a true crime podcast to those with similar interests. You can always find me watching Dateline or ID!

Are you a coffee or tea person—and what’s your go-to order?

Those that know me know I will always say yes to coffee! Iced, hot…I enjoy it all. A popular order of mine is an iced caramel macchiato.

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day of client sessions?

My favorite way to unwind is hanging out with my cats and reading. 

If you weren’t a therapist, what career would you be curious to try?

If I wasn’t a therapist, I’d be interested in acting. I’ve been told I can be a bit dramatic. 

What’s something that always makes you laugh?

Something that always makes me laugh is a funny animal video, especially anything with a pug!