Maxine Nusinow, MA, LMFT, Therapist in Vernon Hills, Illinois

I help clients have the conversations they’ve been avoiding — about sex, power, trust, identity, resentment, desire, and the stories they carry about themselves and their relationships. My work is direct, systemic, and deeply collaborative; I’m not a silent nodder. I bring a mix of radical genuineness, clinical precision, and humor into the room, so clients feel both safe and challenged. As a sex and couples’ therapist with a nursing background, I look at the whole picture: relational dynamics, trauma history, attachment patterns, cultural context, and the very real ways physiology and health intersect with intimacy and mental wellness. I work with partners to improve communication, rebuild trust, and strengthen emotional and physical connection. In sex therapy, I create an open and respectful environment where individuals and couples can explore concerns around intimacy, desire, and identity without shame or judgment.

Clients often come to me when they feel stuck in patterns that don’t make sense anymore — cycles of conflict, shame around sexuality, recovery and addiction dynamics, or the quiet loneliness that can exist inside long-term relationships. I integrate narrative therapy, CBT, IFS, EFT, and Brain spotting (a brain-body approach that helps process trauma, reduce emotional overwhelm, and access deeper healing) within a harm-reductive, strengths-based framework that prioritizes authenticity over perfection. What makes my work different is that I balance warmth with clarity: I will sit with you in the hard moments, help you name what’s actually happening, and support you in building relationships — with yourself and others — that feel honest, embodied, and sustainable. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, more connected, and more confident in your life and relationships.