Frank L

I want to help you move through whatever barriers are keeping you from reaching your full potential.

Frank is a dedicated and deeply empathetic counselor here to guide clients safely through life’s most complex personal and developmental challenges. Operating with a profound, nuanced understanding of the human experience, he specializes in providing strategic, values-focused support for individuals dealing with anxiety, persistent depression, substance or behavioral addictions, and acute difficulties coping with rapid lifecycle changes.

Frank creates a collaborative environment where clients across the greater Chicago area can unpack self-limiting habits, establish emotional equilibrium, and claim their personal agency.

Areas of Clinical Specialty

In his practice at 2nd Story Counseling, Frank provides a structured, warm, and culturally responsive therapeutic space tailored to adults, professionals, and young adults. His core specialties include:

• Gay Men’s Issues & Queer Identity Affirmation: Deeply specialized care addressing the specific cultural, social, and relational dynamics unique to gay men, alongside comprehensive, validating support for all LGBTQ+ and queer-identifying individuals.
• Men’s Mental Health & Masculinity: Focused guidance exploring modern masculinity, male emotional regulation, workplace burnout, and navigating societal role expectations.
• Mood Stability & Coping Mastery: Compassionate therapeutic frameworks for alleviating severe anxiety & depression, navigating panic, and building highly practical, sustainable everyday coping strategies.
• College Student Mental Health: Supporting college students through academic performance anxiety, identity exploration, separation stress, and school-to-work transitions.
• Trauma, Grief & Loss: Providing a steady, grounded environment to process past trauma, reduce hypervigilance associated with PTSD, and navigate deep personal grief and life-altering losses.
• Relational & Recovery Support: Resolving chronic relationship challenges, strengthening communication boundaries, and providing evidence-based guidance for individuals navigating addictions and long-term recovery patterns.
• Mindfulness-Based Practice: Integrating modern mindfulness techniques to help clients reduce cognitive distress, cultivate emotional grounding, and increase daily focus.

Frank believes firmly in the power of empathy as a transformative force within the counseling relationship. By consistently fostering a safe, strictly judgment-free environment, he encourages the open and honest dialogue necessary for clients to explore their deepest thoughts and emotions without the fear of criticism. His therapeutic approach is rooted in profound empathy, helping individuals navigate the complexities of their unique journeys with unwavering compassion and intellectual understanding.

Prior to transitioning into the mental health field, Frank spent many years working in the corporate sector in high-level management and sales roles. He deeply understands the unique, chronic stressors that come with working in high-pressure, results-oriented environments where metrics and productivity rule. Clients working within the finance, technology, insurance, or professional services spaces will find in Frank a clinician who innately understands their day-to-day work environment and the specific burnout hurdles it creates.

In addition to his professional background, Frank recognizes that anxiety, depression, substance use, and identity-related hurdles can be incredibly difficult to navigate alone. Drawing on his extensive cross-disciplinary experience, he offers specialized support tailored to the individual. Whether a client is seeking assistance in managing daily high-stakes stressors, overcoming addictive patterns, or addressing concerns related to their identity, Frank is committed to walking alongside them on their path to healing.

Frank’s counseling philosophy is holistic, considering the interconnectedness of all aspects of a client’s life—from professional pressure to personal well-being. He integrates evidence-based therapeutic techniques, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), with a deeply person-centered approach to provide comprehensive support. His primary objective is to help clients build lasting resilience, develop practical coping strategies, and discover the inner strength needed to overcome any obstacle.

Education & Professional Credentials

Frank is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Illinois and a Board Certified Addictions Counselor (CADC). Further demonstrating his commitment to clinical excellence in specialized fields, he is also a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Specialist (CCAT). He earned his Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Capella University. Frank invites those ready to take the first step toward a more positive, empowered life to reach out to schedule an initial consultation and begin this journey of self-discovery and healing.