Melissa Shumacher
LGBTQIA+ Affirming Child and Family Therapist, Marriage Counselor, Teen Therapist
This stage of life is tough. Your day is exhausting before you ever get to work. Getting everyone fed and out the door is chaotic at best. And on the worst days you lose sight of your best self and yell at the people you love the most. Every day is draining. Work, meals, tears (yours and theirs). How do people do this every day?
When your partner’s around you’re great parents together. But you’re so often juggling it alone. Balancing all the plates. Finding the socks. Mopping up messes. Chasing tired kids out the door when they’d rather play. And the truth is, you’d rather play too. With the kids, and with each other.
So why are there are more tears and tantrums than giggles and hugs? Why is everyone overstimulated and overwhelmed? Will the stress of it pull your marriage apart?
The thought is terrifying. You love each other. You don’t want it to be this way. But this life isn’t what you hoped for. And you can’t take it anymore. Feeling alone. Angry. Exhausted.
Melissa Shumacher
Neuro-Affirming Therapist for Couples, Families, Kids, Teens, and Adults
Where do you go from here? To a place where you can reconnect, refresh, and rebuild.
That’s my office. I help exhausted couples and parents find their fun sides again, and help kids play their stress away. And I love it.
It starts with you sharing your hopes and dreams for your family life, and telling me about the challenges that get in the way. We’ll build practical solutions, and look out for ways that family members can support each other in the process.
We’ll use tools from Emotionally Focused Therapy to strengthen the bonds that make family life fun. You’ll feel heard and understood, by me and by each other. We’ll use elements of Narrative Therapy, Play Therapy, and Theraplay to engage the whole family in learning and growing together and to support kids in working through big emotions.
We’ll balance out the chaos with bursts of joy and strategies that work. You’ll understand each other better, tackle problems as a team, and feel supported again. You’ll have more energy for the activities you used to love. And when the kids see this side of you, the giggles will grow.
Yes, there will still be lost socks and sticky puddles of syrup. There will be challenges at school, at work, and at home. But you’ll face them together. With a clear understanding of your own needs and each other’s.
It all starts with working together. With making a time and place to focus on being the family you always wanted. When you’re ready, I’m here.
Education and Training
M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, Northwestern University
M.B.A., University of Chicago Booth School of Business
BA, Psychology, Northwestern University
Adjunct Instructor of Interpersonal Dynamics, University of Chicago
Melissa’s Specialties
Structural Family Therapy and Narrative Therapy, to support collaborative problem solving in families.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy to strengthen bonds and mutual understanding between partners.
Play Therapy for children, to help them navigate big feelings and build confidence in who they are.
Therapy for parents who’d like to rediscover a sense of competence in an ever-changing world, and pass it on to their children.
Therapy for teens, to explore questions of identity and develop a strong sense of self during the teen and tween years.
Fun Facts About Melissa
I’m a self proclaimed matcha aficionado
I’m a proud cat parent to Jinx and Jasper
I’m a curator of vintage furniture
I studied Clinical Psychology in Denmark