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Additional Information
Specialties or Interests:
Anxiety Disorders
Attention Deficit Disorders
Bulimia
Infertility Issues
Marriage/Couples Issues
Mid-life Issues
Relationship Issues
Self Esteem
Seniors Issues, Aging
Weight Loss/Management
Other Specialties:
Creating a Better Work-Life Balance
Changing Unhealthy Habits and Lifestyles
Maximizing your Potential in your Career
Emotional and Physical Well-Being
Personal Comments:
I invite you to visit my website at:
http://pwalkerphd.googlepages.com
When Is It Time To Seek Therapy:
"If you’re wondering if you should seek therapy, then you must already have identified at least one area of your life that you would like to be different. Anyone who feels less than satisfied with the way their lives are going could benefit from therapy. You don’t have to continue feeling badly or wait until problems reach a crisis. Many people experience more unhappiness than they would like. Unhappiness is never something you should have to live with or accept.
Choosing to start therapy is a constructive way of supporting and caring for yourself that can help you to succeed, beginning right now, in making the changes you desire. A common initial obstacle to beginning therapy is thinking that obtaining help from a psychologist is a sign of weakness. It is just the opposite! People who seek therapy have the courage to change their lives and the strength of their convictions. They recognize that they deserve to be happy and reach their full potential, and they are taking positive action toward making this happen. Unfortunately, many people in our culture are burdened with feeling that they must struggle with problems alone. Contributing to this sense of isolation is often a concern that it would be difficult to discuss the problem with a stranger. Be assured that a caring therapist will be nonjudgmental in helping you regardless of the nature of your problem."
My Practice and Approach to Therapy:
"My therapeutic approach is illustrated in an article I wrote that has been published on the 4therapy.com site entitled, "Create a Better Work-Life Balance and Enjoy a Happier Life." You can read this article by searching by my name or by the article title or looking in the Family Relationships Section. If you like, you can skip ahead to the sections describing two case examples, entitled, "Joanne's Story" and "Jason's Story."
Changing negative feelings and patterns takes more than empathic listening or good advice from family and friends. I utilize groundbreaking discoveries from clinical research in human happiness and optimal functioning, along with twenty years of clinical experience, to understand why unwanted patterns continue, and to help remove the inner roadblocks that oppose positive change. I tailor therapy to work in a manner that is comfortable and most relevant for each individual. I build on my clients' unique strengths, including their constructive, positive, optimistic feelings about themselves, to support continued growth. Development aims at helping clients gain greater control over how they feel, including having more genuinely pleasurable experiences, and greater control in consistently making constructive choices in their lives.
Excellence in client care has been the guiding principle of my practice. When I am entrusted with caring for a person's emotional well-being, I feel a profound responsibility to provide the best care possible. My dedication to excellence is backed by a deep commitment to ongoing professional development. For the past fifteen years, I have engaged in postdoctoral clinical training in advanced psychotherapeutic methods with top experts in the field. I bring these advances to the care I provide each client.
Naturally, the best way to find out how I might be able to help you, is through your own experience. I offer a confidential, complimentary 30-minute phone consultation preceeding the initial therapy session to help you see if my services are right for you. My practice is conviently located in a downtown high-rise, and provides the highest degree of both privacy and comfort. It would be my pleasure to be of assistance in helping you create the happy and successful life that you deserve."
Professional Bio:
Academic and Professional Affiliations
Since 1987, Dr. Walker has been a faculty member of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Psychology. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Illinois Psychological Association, and The Intrapsychic Humanism Society. Dr. Walker has been a licensed clinical psychologist for almost twenty years.
Academic and Clinical Training
Dr. Walker has rigorous academic and clinical training from programs accredited by the American Psychological Association. She earned her undergraduate and doctoral degrees in psychology from the two most renowned universities in Canada, her native country, McGill University, and the University of Waterloo, respectively.
Dr. Walker fulfilled her Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and was awarded a Staff Fellowship at Northwestern the following year.
Dr. Walker served as a Staff Psychologist in the Eating Disorder Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for several years, thereafter. In order to dedicate herself full-time to patient care, Dr. Walker entered Private Practice in 1991.
Dr. Walker has received many academic awards throughout her education. McGill University awarded her academic scholarships during each year of undergraduate study, along with the Susan Pelletier Prize for Psychology upon graduation with First Class Honors. She was awarded scholarships as well throughout her graduate study by both the University of Waterloo and the Province of Ontario. She received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship to support her doctoral research in prenatal and postpartum depression.
Postdoctoral Clinical Training in Treatment Methods at the Forefront of Psychology
Dr. Walker's devotion to excellence in client care is backed by a deep commitment to ongoing professional development. Since 1992, Dr. Walker has been engaged in postdoctoral clinical training at the forefront of psychology, applying advanced therapeutic methods to treat a wide array of difficulties in adults. Specifically, Dr. Walker has been studying breakthroughs in understanding the development of optimal inner well-being, the causes of psychological pain, and therapeutic treatment methods aimed at promoting stable inner well-being and optimal functioning. Dr. Walker has become one of the most experienced therapists with expertise in applying these methods, in individually tailored therapy, to facilitate meaningful improvements for her clients. Her approach to treatment is described in greater detail in an article published on this site, "Create a Better Work-Life Balance and Enjoy a Happier Life."
Presentations and Teaching
As an expert in her field, Dr. Walker has given talks presenting these advanced therapeutic methods to psychologists and counselors at the Annual Conventions of the Illinois Psychological Association, and the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association. She has given talks also to professional groups and parents, applying this knowledge to help women and men create a better work-life balance and experience greater well-being.
Dr. Walker served as Chair of the Committee for Postgraduate Courses (for the Chicago Chapter of a Division of the American Psychological Association), in which capacity she directed a program of professional development courses for licensed clinical psychologists and social workers. Dr. Walker brought the exciting, groundbreaking advances in therapeutic methods to psychologists and social workers in a course she taught within this program.
While on staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Dr. Walker participated in the selection and clinical training of psychology interns and psychology graduate students in master's and doctoral programs.
Helping Professionals and Business Managers
Dr. Walker has applied the discoveries regarding optimal well-being to improve performance and career satisfaction, working extensively with managers and executives from Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized companies, owners of family and small businesses, and professionals. These discoveries have been applied to a wide range of industries, including, advertising, marketing, financial lending, financial investing, accounting, employment, telecommunications, IT, hospitality,and manufacturing, and many professional fields, such as healthcare, education, and law.
Professional Title/s:
Psychologist
Minimum Hourly Fee:
$125 or more
Other Insurance
Please call to discuss your specific insurance.
Treatment Modalities
Eclectic
Marriage/Couples Counseling
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychotherapy
Accepting New Patients:
Yes
Years In Practice:
16+
Licensed in:
Illinois
License:
071-003892
Degree:
PhD
Institution:
University of Waterloo, Canada
Office Information/Hours:
Please call to discuss setting up a time that is convenient for you.
Professional Organizations/ Affiliations:
Faculty Member of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Division of Psychology
Member of the American Psychological Association
Member of the Illinois Psychological Association
Member of the Intrapsychic Humanism Society
Treatment Age(s):
Adolescents
Adults
Couples
Seniors
Therapeutic Orientation:
Eclectic
Family/Marital Therapy
Humanistic
Psychodynamic
Other Orientations:
Intrapsychic Humanism
Gender:
Female
General Comments:
I invite you to visit my website at http://pwalkerphd.googlepages.com
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