Ayako Konno, PsyD:

Dr. Konno has worked in the field of behavioral health for over 20 years, both in US and abroad. Having lived in different countries growing up, she enjoyed being able to connect with people from different backgrounds. This has led to her strong interests in the field of psychology and has since committed to work towards understanding each person so that the person truly feels heard. She is particularly interested in working with various adjustment issues related to Third Culture Kids (TCKs), but has worked extensively with people of diverse backgrounds to help with anxiety, depression, family conflict, and addiction to name a few. Dr. Konno worked in different settings, from schools, community mental health, to private clinics. Throughout her career she’s held administrative positions where she’s responsible for program development and operation, as well as facilitating preparation and attainment of national accreditation. The experience of learning about accreditation and program management reinforced her interest in quality of care as well as helping other clinics with preparation for accreditation and understanding standards of an accrediting body.

Q&A

What do you think is most important when choosing a therapist?
The relationship between a therapist and the client is very important. Beyond the degree, license, expertise etc, ask yourself, “Is this a good match? Do I feel comfortable talking to this therapist?”. I think a poor match can become a barrier to making progress in therapy.

How do you approach therapy?
Therapy is definitely not ‘one size fits all’. I try to tailor as much as possible to each client’s needs. And if something isn’t working mid-treatment ideally, we discuss it and make adjustments. I draw from different perspectives such as family systems, CBT and ACT.

What does cultural sensitivity mean to you?
Most importantly, it is examining your own biases, raising awareness of them. Cultural sensitivity goes far beyond what we learn in textbooks about ‘how to’ approach certain people from certain cultures.

How do you like to spend your free time?
I’ve now lived in Chicago for 20+ years, the longest I’ve lived in one city. Chicago has a lot to offer from the beautiful lakefront to nightlife. These days, I enjoy the challenge of growing my own produce (winter months are tough…), spending time with family, including our dog, and re-learning how to play the piano!

Have Questions?

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or inquires by using the contact form or call us at 312-278-7619.