Rev. Sergio Ayala, LCPC, LMHC

Rev. Sergio Ayala is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and an Iowa Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with ten years of clinical experience. He holds a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling and a Master of Divinity with clinical pastoral education, and he draws on a long background in ministerial work. He works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, depression, relationship and family concerns, and caregiver strain including dementia caregiving.

His style is direct and person-focused. He treats each person as the expert on their life and helps them name patterns that recur from earlier relationships. Sessions often focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts, testing new behaviors, and noticing emotional patterns that affect relationships and intimacy.

He uses methods from client-centered therapy to keep conversations grounded in what matters to the client. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to map how thoughts and actions keep problems going. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) and elements of Jungian and existential approaches help examine how early family roles and attachment affect current choices.

Sergio pays attention to family of origin issues and how childhood roles influence adult behavior. He also supports people dealing with abandonment, adoption and foster care questions, codependency, and communication or control issues.

Sessions are offered in English and Spanish and he sees international clients. Practical steps are emphasized: small behavior changes, clearer communication, and ways to reduce overwhelm so daily life feels more manageable.

Therapeutic approaches used for online work