Child Anxiety and OCD Therapy in Oak Park, IL | Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Two Therapists, Two Moms, and a Whole Lot of Hard-Won Knowledge

Courtney Bledsoe LCSW PLLC | Oak Park, IL

Are you a parent at the end of your tether? We've been there too.

Not in a vague, theoretical way — in the real way. The bedtime-battle way. The Googling-at-midnight way. The "I love this child more than anything and have absolutely no idea what to do next" way.

And now we are licensed therapists. Specializing in anxiety. In children and families. Because apparently when something is hard, we lean in.

So if you're sitting in a school parking lot taking three deep breaths before you go inside, or lying awake running through tomorrow's possibilities, or wondering whether what you're seeing in your child is normal or something more, you're in the right place. We know this territory. Professionally and personally.

Before We Introduce Ourselves

Courtney Bledsoe LCSW PLLC has always been built around one core belief: real change happens when therapists and parents work together as a team.

As the practice has grown, that team has expanded too. Kelly Owen joined as an associate therapist, bringing her own clinical training and lived experience as a mom to the work we do here. Different backgrounds, same commitment — to the kids and families who walk through our door (or log on to our screen).

At Courtney Bledsoe LCSW PLLC, we specialize in anxiety and OCD treatment for children, teens, and families. Through individual therapy, parent consultation, and SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), we help families better understand anxiety patterns and build the skills needed to move forward. We serve families in Oak Park, the Chicago western suburbs, and throughout Illinois via telehealth.

What You Get When You Work With Us

Between the two of us, we bring something that's hard to find in one practice: specialized training in anxiety and OCD, a deep understanding of child development, and a genuine appreciation for how challenging parenting can be.

Our work is grounded in evidence-based approaches, including SPACE, CBT, ACT, and DBT. Whether we're working directly with a child or teen, supporting parents through SPACE, or helping a family navigate a difficult transition, our goal is the same: helping children build confidence, flexibility, and the skills they need to handle life's challenges.

Courtney specializes in anxiety and OCD in children and adolescents. As the only certified SPACE provider in Illinois, she offers both direct therapy for children and teens and parent-based treatment for families who feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, avoidance, or accommodation.

Kelly combines her training in social work and child development to help children, teens, and parents better understand the challenges they are facing and identify practical ways to move forward. Her approach is warm, relational, and grounded in meeting families where they are.

Together, we bring clinical expertise, curiosity, warmth, and a healthy sense of humor. We know that families are doing the best they can with the information and resources they have. Our role isn't to judge what got you here — it's to help you figure out what comes next.

Courtney Bledsoe, LCSW

Courtney Bledsoe, LCSW, is a child and adolescent anxiety therapist based in Oak Park, IL, specializing in anxiety, OCD, and parent-based treatment. As the only certified SPACE provider in Illinois, she offers in-person sessions in the Chicago area and western suburbs, and virtual sessions throughout Illinois.

Her work focuses on helping families break the anxiety cycle — with or without the child in the therapy room. She approaches that work from a place she knows personally:  what it feels like to navigate uncertainty, stress, and life's unexpected challenges. She knows what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and unsure where to turn.

What she's learned — professionally and personally — is that most challenging behavior isn't a sign something is wrong with your child. It's a clue to what skills they're still learning. And that's exactly where the work begins.

Kelly Owen, LSW

Kelly Owen, LSW, is a therapist specializing in anxiety in children, adolescents, and families in Oak Park, IL. She holds dual Master's degrees in Social Work and Child Development from the Erikson Institute, bringing a unique perspective that helps families understand not only what a child is struggling with, but how those challenges fit into the larger picture of development.

Kelly believes that children do well when they can. Rather than focusing on what a child is doing wrong, she works with families to understand the skills, stressors, and circumstances that may be contributing to a child's difficulties. She enjoys helping children and parents make sense of big emotions, confusing behaviors, and the challenges that can arise at home, at school, and in relationships.

Her approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in the belief that meaningful change happens when children and families feel understood. She works alongside parents and children to identify practical, realistic steps that build confidence and create lasting growth.

She offers in-person sessions in Oak Park and virtual sessions the western suburbs of Chicago.

We'd Love to Meet You

If you're wondering whether we might be the right fit for your family, the easiest next step is a free 15-minute consultation. No pressure, no commitment — just a conversation. We'll listen to what's going on, answer any questions you have, and help you figure out whether working together makes sense.

You don't have to have it all figured out before you reach out. Most people don't. That's what we're here for.

Courtney Bledsoe LCSW PLLC is based in Oak Park, Illinois, serving families across the western suburbs of Chicago and virtually throughout Illinois.