Andrea Bercos, LCSW

Andrea Bercos is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 21 years of experience. He works with people coping with stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship concerns, grief, and codependency. Sessions address problems that interfere with daily life and relationships.

He has worked across community mental health, substance abuse treatment centers, domestic violence and sexual assault services, public schools, and private practice. That background means he is used to short-term crisis work and longer-term therapy. He talks through what has been happening, what’s important now, and practical next steps.

His approach draws on client-centered methods and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In plain terms he listens first, then helps people identify unhelpful thinking and small changes that relieve distress. Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy are used when someone needs to sort out values and goals, or rewrite their story about themselves and relationships.

Andrea also uses trauma-focused work for people with histories of abuse and long-standing trauma. That work focuses on managing distressing memories and building skills to feel more able in daily life. He pays attention to family of origin issues, gender and sexuality concerns, and problems tied to substance use.

Sessions tend to be straightforward and practical. People learn breathing and grounding techniques, thought record practices from CBT, and stepwise plans for setting boundaries. If someone is unsure where to start, he helps them decide on simple first goals and evaluates progress along the way.

How his approaches translate to online work