VMA Psychotherapy

VMA Psychotherapy Therapy that moves with you! In-network with BCBS PPO, Aetna, Cigna, and Medicare.

VMA Psychotherapy is a collective of seasoned clinicians offering honest, human dialogue for adults, adolescents, couples, and families in Oak Park, IL.

09/04/2026

How freeing would it be to courageously enter each day without knowing exactly how everything will turn out? 🎬

I absolutely loathed It’s a Wonderful Life as a child. Then adulthood kicked in. Losing my dad, meeting a mentor who challenged the way I saw the film, becoming a husband and father, and simply getting older changed what George Bailey’s story meant to me. What once seemed like a black-and-white movie about a middle-aged guy who hated his life became something much bigger: a story about struggle, gratitude, the decisions we make, and whether our existence matters in the grand scheme of things.

What movie has taken on a completely different meaning for you as you’ve gotten older? Comment below + Read “Struggle and Freedom with Frank Capra” at vmapsychotherapy.com/blog!

How much energy do we spend trying to control things we simply can’t control?This is a statement from the recovery commu...
09/02/2026

How much energy do we spend trying to control things we simply can’t control?

This is a statement from the recovery community that I have attempted to emulate during my adult years. Acceptance pushes on the idea of our daily frustrations and how we want to control people, places, and things that we cannot manage the outcome of. The concept of letting go is a difficult process to live with; however, it speaks to the idea of loosening our grip on the world and focusing on our own internal struggles.

What does loosening your grip look like in your life right now? đź’­ Learn more about how therapy at VMA can help you accept and let go at vmapsychotherapy.com.

Therapy can be thoughtful and meaningful without taking ourselves seriously every second!🙂 Meet Robert Sheehan! Robert w...
09/01/2026

Therapy can be thoughtful and meaningful without taking ourselves seriously every second!🙂 Meet Robert Sheehan! Robert works with adults, adolescents, couples and families navigating depression, anxiety, grief, phobias, work dynamics and career decisions. He believes people are a mix of experiences, beliefs, relationships, hopes and fears, and his goal is to help clients better understand those dynamics through acceptance, problem solving and, hopefully, a little humor.

Outside of therapy, Robert is an avid tennis player, builds fine-scale ship models and helps rescue feral cats through Trap-Neuter-Return. Know someone who might connect with Robert’s style? Share this with them + learn more about Robert and our therapists at vmapsychotherapy.com/therapists!

What happens when we revisit the things that shaped us, but through the eyes of who we are now?These images were part of...
08/27/2026

What happens when we revisit the things that shaped us, but through the eyes of who we are now?

These images were part of a show called Gen X Pop Art in 2025. The purpose of the show was to examine my cultural archives from my youth of the 1980s and 90s, not simply to remember, but to reframe it, remixing them as an adult with my own lived experiences, creating both humorous and mindful takes of iconic images of my youth, incorporating concepts of nostalgia, identity, and pop culture to both recognize and challenge their meaning.

🎨 What images, music, movies, or pieces of pop culture immediately bring you back to your childhood? Comment below + share this with someone who might appreciate a little nostalgia!

Anxiety support isn’t always just about what we do AFTER anxiety hits! I feel like there are two routes to helping anxie...
08/26/2026

Anxiety support isn’t always just about what we do AFTER anxiety hits! I feel like there are two routes to helping anxiety: prevention and intervention. Intervention can be focused on the tools to utilize such as grounding exercises, etc. when you feel intense anxiety or panic. Prevention can be more about a ritualized technique or exercise that can help bring your anxiety down from an 8 or 9 to a 5 or 6. Sometimes a combination of both can be useful, but it really depends on each individual.

đź’­ What helps you manage anxiety before or during an overwhelming moment? Comment below + save or share this for later! Learn more about our therapists and find someone who may be a good fit at vmapsychotherapy.com/therapists.

What if growth isn’t always about getting rid of the struggle? For those battling mental health, the important thing in ...
08/25/2026

What if growth isn’t always about getting rid of the struggle? For those battling mental health, the important thing in therapy that the clinicians at our practice work on is helping people embrace the struggle, not to try to remove it from you entirely. It’s important to develop a certain amount of acceptance about who we are and how all experiences we've had, good or bad, are necessary and important to grow.

What might change if growth didn’t require erasing every difficult part of your experience? 💭 Save or share this with someone who might need the reminder, and learn more about our approach at vmapsychotherapy.com/about

08/21/2026

If your life had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it? 🎵

Almost two decades ago, I decided to capture nostalgic moments from my life through an experimental project called “The Soundtrack.” The idea was simple: come up with a list of songs from my life, starting with the year I was born, and select songs that trigger a memory or evoke a feeling of the past. All in all, I came up with about 1,500 songs.

Nostalgia can remind us of what we've lost, where we've been, and sometimes how far we've come. What song immediately takes you back to another time in your life? Comment below + share this with someone who would have a great soundtrack! Read the full blog at vmapsychotherapy.com/blog/the-soundtrack-to-our-lives.

There’s a reason the VMA waiting room looks a little different! 🎨An atrium visual diorama in our main waiting room of Su...
08/19/2026

There’s a reason the VMA waiting room looks a little different! 🎨

An atrium visual diorama in our main waiting room of Suite 520 incorporates a few different ideas about therapy and connection. The plants represent growth, starting from a seed and growing all the way into an adult plant, recognizing that preservation is required for all living beings. The Peanuts psychiatry booth with VMA logos is a playful, animated way to engage with therapy. The green stickers feature positive words communicating engagement, connection, and openness. Remy from Ratatouille lives by the concept that “anyone can do anything,” and we are all capable of greatness. The background is a Keith Haring print, which provides color and expression, both of which are creative words used to describe treatment at VMA.

What catches your eye first? Comment below + share with someone who appreciates a therapy space with a little personality! Want to see more? Take a closer look inside VMA at vmapsychotherapy.com/space!

Meet Olivia Murphy! 🙌 For children and adolescents, therapy doesn’t have to feel intimidating or overly clinical. Olivia...
08/18/2026

Meet Olivia Murphy! 🙌 For children and adolescents, therapy doesn’t have to feel intimidating or overly clinical. Olivia believes therapy can be fun, engaging, and meaningful, with real connection at the center. She specializes in working with children and adolescents navigating developmental transitions, ADHD, depression, and emotional or behavioral concerns, with a strong interest in supporting neurodivergent clients.

Know a parent looking for support? Share this with them! Learn more about Olivia and her approach at vmapsychotherapy.com/olivia-murphy

Boredom is a struggle that almost everyone has as some point. At times it is a result of fatigue, lethargy—but it IS nor...
08/13/2026

Boredom is a struggle that almost everyone has as some point. At times it is a result of fatigue, lethargy—but it IS normal. It’s important to remember that sometimes positive things can come out of boredom: an idea, a conversation, creative endeavors. Do not see this state of mind as a curse, but more as an opportunity: to tolerate down time, quiet, peace and possible growth!

🎨 Save or share this for the next time you find yourself trying to fill every quiet moment. Learn more about VMA and the way we think about creativity, conversation, and growth at vmapsychotherapy.com!

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715 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL
60301

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+17082320702

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