about Tina S.

"As a family therapist, I help families who are desperate to enjoy time with each other again. I encourage family members to work together to make their family look and feel more like what they hope for. Families express they appreciate my level-headed approach, supportive yet challenging energy, and my ability to balance the power of many voices. I believe that, despite all the pain and conflict, your family can be put back together. That your teenager doesn’t hate you as much as their eyes say they do. That parents can talk about more than poopy diapers and rebellious teens on a long overdue date night. And most importantly, that families are resilient and capable of change and growth.

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in Illinois and Florida. I received my master’s degree in Couple & Family Therapy from Adler University, and I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in Psychology and Family & Youth Community Sciences. Go Gators!

My career experience highlights my passion for working with conflictual couples, bickering families, hard to reach teens/young adults, and parents in need of a strategy adjustment. I have had the great opportunity to be welcomed into diverse families to help them reach their unique goals. I founded Empower Family Therapy to be the ‘Go To’ resource for couple & family issues in Oak Park’s family-focused community. I am excited to expand Empower Family Therapy to my hometown of Palm Beach Gardens & Jupiter, and to be a resource to the growing community of families in South Florida- a place very near and dear to my heart.

In addition to my work as a therapist to my clients and a supervisor to my staff, I am passionate about supporting other local small business owners. As a board member of the Oak Park & River Forest Chamber of Commere, I contribute to empowering business leaders of the community to push past the monotony of business ownership and find ways to help their business work for them. Being closely connected to the people behind my favorite local businesses has enriched my own business and my love for this community.

I live in Oak Park with my husband, my young adult & teenage step-daughters, toddler son, infant daughter, and pets. I am a Florida native, who loves the few sunny and warm days Chicago offers. The energy of the city life brought me here, but the magic of the changing seasons is what makes me stay - mostly spring and fall, not so much winter! Most therapists avoid working in the communities they live in, but I am honored to give back to the families with whom I proudly share this village.

“REACH OUT TO ME ANYWAY YOU FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE - I’M HERE TO HELP."

- Tina Shrader, LMFT (SHE/HER/HERS)

Tina is the owner of the practice and provides supervision to the clinicians of the practice.

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Tina’s Specialties Include:

  • Helping couples build a communication toolbox to help them feel heard, seen, and connected

  • Helping busy couples find their unique balance of gender roles & household expectations

  • Helping partners find their unique balance with the many aspects of their relationship: parenting, household management, financial management, romantic, friendship, etc.

  • Helping families find the elusive ‘Familial Harmony’

  • Helping parents, ‘Parent as a Team’ and co-create a parenting strategy that they believe in and feel empowered by