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LCPC

Myrna Pledger, LCPC

  • Experience21 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Family
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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About Myrna

Myrna Pledger is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) based in Illinois with 21 years of clinical experience working in community settings. She trained as a community counselor and developed a broad practice addressing individual and family concerns across many life stages.

Background and approach

Early work in schools led her to view behavior problems in children within the context of family systems, and that systems perspective continues to shape her clinical thinking. Her approach blends practical, educational guidance with kindness and a faith-informed perspective; she describes her style as truth-based and solutions focused.

Myrna draws from cognitive-behavioral and rational-emotive ideas while also integrating Internal Family Systems and attachment-aware concepts to address trauma, grief, relationship strain, anxiety, depression, addictions, and related concerns. She has additional focus areas that include personality-related difficulties, codependency and intimacy issues, hospice and end-of-life counseling, multicultural concerns, and recovery from sexual assault and abuse.

Myrna frames treatment collaboratively and tailors conversations and plans to each person’s needs. She encourages those ready to pursue change to take the initial step and seeks to support and empower clients through practical strategies, exploration of relational dynamics, and attention to personal values and resilience.

Integrating therapeutic approaches for online healing



Myrna blends Internal Family Systems with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in a way that invites exploration of internal parts while helping clients clarify values and commit to actions that support meaningful change. Internal Family Systems involves gently identifying and dialoguing with different internal parts to reduce internal conflict and heal from trauma, and it can be useful for relationship struggles, self-esteem issues, and complex emotional patterns. ACT focuses on increasing psychological flexibility by helping people notice thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them, and it is often applied to anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to determine which methods or combination of methods best match their goals, preferences, and life context, adjusting the plan over time as needs evolve.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for varied schedules and comfort levels. These formats make it easier to access consistent support from licensed professionals while fitting work, family, and daily obligations, and they allow for ongoing therapeutic work even when in-person visits are not feasible.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?
Myrna works with a wide range of life and mental health concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family difficulties, grief, addictions, intimacy-related issues, parenting challenges, and compassion fatigue.
How would you describe the therapeutic style and approach?
Her style is described as truth-based, educationally focused, and kind, combining solution-focused techniques with cognitive-behavioral and rational-emotive strategies while incorporating systems and attachment-informed perspectives.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She trained as a community counselor and has 21 years of experience working with individuals and families in community settings, including early work addressing behavioral issues in school environments.
What credentials and location should clients know about?
She holds the LCPC credential and is licensed in Illinois with licence number IL LCPC 180.006251, practicing from that state.
Does she work in languages other than English or with international clients?
Sessions are conducted in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for online work?
Clients can meet using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on scheduling and preference.
How is cost handled for therapy with this clinician?
Fees vary with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseDepression

Also works with

AddictionsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Avoidant personalityCodependencyCommitment issuesDependent personalityHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / lonelinessMulticultural concernsPersonality disordersPrejudice and discriminationSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobia

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Jungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

21+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English