Meet Sidra Shoaib, LPC
What you go through doesn’t just test you. It teaches you resilience.
Find out more about Sidra Shoaib
Anxiety & Emotional Regulation Counselor
INSPIRED BY RESILIENCE
Helping people was never a backup plan for me. When I was in high school, the person I looked up to most was my own school counselor. I saw firsthand how much it matters to have one adult in the building who truly listens, and I never forgot how that felt. I carried that with me into college, and even when I started down a different road, it kept pulling me back.
I began my degree as a biology major. Semester after semester, the classes I couldn’t stop thinking about were my psychology electives, and in my final year I made the switch official. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and then my Master of Arts in School Counseling, both from Lewis University, and became a Licensed Professional Counselor. Looking back, the change of direction is one of the things I’m proudest of. It taught me something I now get to teach my clients: it is never too late to choose the path that actually fits you.
Today I work with children and teens ages 6 to 17, and I’m open to working with adults as well. Families come to me for anxiety, depression, school-related anxiety, emotional regulation, and social skills. Big feelings, school stress, meltdowns that seem to come from nowhere, the child who has stopped raising their hand, the teen who is snapping at everyone or shutting down completely. This is exactly the work I trained for, and honestly, the work I love.
What makes my background a little different is that I have worked inside schools, not just alongside them. I have been a school counselor, sat in the IEP and 504 meetings, walked the hallways, and seen where school pressure really comes from. Before that, I spent four years working one-on-one with children and teens with autism and intellectual disabilities. If your child learns differently, feels things intensely, or needs a little more patience to open up, you will not need to explain that world to me. I have lived in it. I also speak Urdu, and I warmly welcome families who feel more at home in it.
“Growing through what you’re going through.”
Tidbits about Sidra Shoaib
Clinical License
LPC – 178.022701
Recreational Activities
Favorite Workout: Strength training at the gym
Current Challenge: Running (proud beginner)
Favorite Cuisines to Cook: Traditional Pakistani and Mexican
Favorite Reads: Psychological thrillers (Jeneva Rose and Freida McFadden are current favs)
Currently Streaming: YOU, Dexter, and The Penguin
Languages
English
Urdu
Work History
Sidra Shoaib’s Experience
Great experience matters
I have worked as a school counselor with a special education cooperative, supporting students with diverse learning, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. In that role, I developed and monitored IEP goals, provided individual and small-group counseling, stepped in with crisis support when a student’s day fell apart, and worked side by side with school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, teachers, and families. Before that, I completed 700 hours of school counseling training at Plainfield East High School, where I counseled students individually and in groups, helped freshmen turn around failing grades, and guided over 200 students through course selection, college applications, and scholarship materials.
For four years, I also worked as a Registered Behavior Technician, providing one-on-one care for children and teens with autism, implementing behavior plans, and training new staff. Those years taught me patience, consistency, and how to celebrate progress in whatever size it comes.
In our sessions together, I draw on a few approaches, and I’ll always explain them in plain English:
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): we learn to notice the thoughts driving the big feelings, then practice answering those thoughts back.
- Solution-focused counseling: we start with what is already working and build from your strengths, instead of dwelling only on what is wrong.
- Client-centered counseling: you set the pace. I meet every client where they are, not where a textbook says they should be.
A session with me might look like traditional talk therapy, play and art for younger children, or role-playing a tricky situation before it happens in real life: a hard conversation, a test, or walking into a new classroom for the first time.
Sidra Shoaib’s Ultimate Goal
I want every client to leave feeling empowered and optimistic about their future, believing their goals are achievable and the sky is the limit. Most of all, I never want a client to limit themselves because of what they are going through right now. What you go through doesn’t just test you. It teaches you resilience, and my job is to help you grow through it.
Sidra Shoaib, LPCAnxiety & Emotional Regulation Counselor
New Client
How getting started works
It can be overwhelming coming to counseling. Here’s every step, from your first call to the sessions that follow.
Step 1
Reach out
Request a session online or call (815) 409-5940 to schedule your first appointment.
Step 2
Fill out your intake forms
Your welcome email has everything. Finish the forms at least 48 hours before your appointment, on a phone, tablet or computer, and share your preferred times and therapist.
Step 3
We check your benefits
If you’re using insurance, we check your benefits before confirming your appointment, so you have a good idea of your cost before your first visit.
Step 4
Your first session
Check in on the iPad in our waiting room. Your therapist walks you through confidentiality, answers your questions, and gets to know you and your goals.
Step 5
Plan next steps together
Most people start with weekly sessions, at least three to build a connection, then adjust together as things improve.
In-network with
- Aetna PPO
- Cigna / Evernorth
- BCBS PPO
- Initial assessment $200
- Ongoing sessions $150
Insurance and rates
Insurance Accepted
We work with most major insurance plans and offer self-pay options. We believe quality mental health care should be accessible. Sidra Shoaib is in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna. For UnitedHealthcare or UMR plans, call us and we will check your benefits before your first session.
We also offer self-pay options and can provide a Superbill for out-of-network benefits.
Start Working with
Sidra Shoaib!
Tell us a little about what is going on. We will match you with the right therapist and reach out to schedule.
Trouble seeing the form? Open it in a new window or call us at (815) 409-5940.
What People Are Saying About Us
5.0 Based on 5 Google reviews
“Davis-Smith Mental Health truly cares about their clients. The therapists are compassionate, skilled, and genuinely committed to helping you grow and heal. It’s clear that Jessica has built a team that shares her values and dedication. Highly recommend to anyone looking for meaningful support and real results.”
Kasia Budyn · Posted on Google
“Jessica provides a safe and welcoming environment for all the teens she sees. She tailors treatment to each teen and is incredibly patient and open to their needs. I have seen first hand the work she does and the connection she has with kids. I cannot recommend her enough as someone who will care for your teen and your family!”
Google User · Posted on Google
“Davis-Smith Mental Health is a trusted resource for providing compassionate, high-quality therapy for teens and emerging adults. I know confidently that clients are supported with empathy, professionalism, and respect. Jessica leads her team with integrity and intention. She clearly prioritizes the well-being of her staff, which allows them to show up fully for the clients they serve. Their commitment to the healing journey is evident in every interaction. I’m grateful to have them as a referral partner and deeply value their work in the mental health community.”
Sherri Wick · Posted on Google
“Jessica is a dedicated therapist and absolutely loves working with teens. You are able to feel the love from the moment you walk through the door. She and her staff will provide a safe and private environment for that one on one attention you deserve.”
Melanie K. Hall · Posted on Google
“Jessica and her team are so passionate and helpful! I would recommend this practice to anyone looking!”
Biljana Krzywinski · Posted on Google
More ways we can help
Other Ways We Help
Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety is the most common reason families come to us, and it’s the foundation of everything we do. Whether your teen is avoiding school, your young adult can’t stop overthinking, or worry has taken over your daily life, we can help. Our therapists use CBT and EMDR to help clients understand what’s driving their anxiety and build real tools to manage it.
Teen Anxiety Counseling
The teen years are when anxiety tends to hit the hardest. School pressure, social stress, comparison, and the weight of figuring out who they are can leave teens feeling overwhelmed and stuck. We work with teens to understand what’s behind the anxiety and give them real skills they can actually use, at school, at home, and in the moments that feel like too much.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a well-researched approach for trauma, and it’s also used for anxiety. It works by helping the brain reprocess difficult memories and experiences that are keeping you stuck. Our EMDR-trained therapist works with teens, young adults, and adults.
Depression Therapy
Depression and anxiety often show up together. If your teen has lost interest in things they used to enjoy, is sleeping too much or too little, or seems hopeless about the future, therapy can help. We work with clients to find what’s underneath the depression and build a path forward that actually feels possible.
Trauma Counseling
Trauma is one of the most common drivers of anxiety in teenagers and young adults. It doesn’t always look like what you’d expect. It can show up as constant worry, anger, trouble concentrating, or emotional shutdown. Our therapists help clients work through trauma at their own pace, in a space where they feel safe.
Emotional Regulation
When anxiety runs high, emotions feel unmanageable. Some children, teens, and adults feel everything. Small frustrations become explosions. Sadness becomes despair. We help clients understand their patterns and develop strategies for handling intense feelings without shutting down or lashing out.
Relationship Counseling
Anxiety doesn’t just affect the person experiencing it. It changes how they show up in every relationship. We help teens, young adults, and adults work through the ways anxiety and other challenges are impacting their connections with family, friends, and partners.
Life Transitions
Starting high school. Leaving for college. A new job, a divorce, a move. Life transitions can trigger anxiety, depression, and self-doubt, even when the change is something you wanted. We help clients work through the uncertainty and build confidence in who they’re becoming.
Young Adult Counseling
The years between 18 and 30 come with a unique kind of pressure. A lot of young adults are dealing with anxiety they’ve carried since their teenage years but never had the chance to address. We help them get unstuck and start building a life that feels like theirs.
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You don’t have to figure this out alone
If something told you to keep reading this far, trust that feeling. Whether it’s for yourself, your teen, or your young adult, the hardest part is deciding to start. We are here when you are ready.
there is courage in change ♥
- Anxiety counseling for children, teens and adults
- Rated 5.0 on Google
- In-network with Aetna, BCBS and Cigna
- Telehealth for clients in Illinois
- In-person in New Lenox
- EMDR therapy for anxiety and trauma
- We truly care about every client
- There is courage in change