Dr. Ilana Gross, Psy.D.

Psychotherapist

Treatment Philosophy

I believe that the most important ingredient to successful therapy is the therapeutic relationship itself. My goal is to create a relationship in which my clients feel safe, understood, and free to be their genuine selves. When that is achieved, I believe that clients have the space to build self-compassion, discover their own unique strengths, and explore their goals for a more fulfilling life.

I work with clients to collaboratively create treatment plans that fit their needs. I understand that coming to therapy is a vulnerable experience and I am careful to move at each client’s pace to help them feel comfortable.

  • When working with adults, I bring a client-centered foundation to my work while utilizing components from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and existential therapies. My clinical specialties include anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, trauma, ADHD, and procrastination.

    I also have an extensive background working with children and adolescents. When working with younger clients, I use a more creative approach by incorporating games, play, and art into sessions. I also make a point to learn about my younger clients’ interests to build a strong therapeutic alliance and to encourage them to be proud of their strengths.

    Outside of work, I enjoy arts and crafts, traveling, and visiting Disney Parks.

  • I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Kenyon College and my Clinical Psychology Doctorate (Psy.D.) from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a concentration in Child and Adolescent Psychology. In my graduate school training, I worked in various school settings including an Orthodox Jewish day school, a Catholic grammar school, and a Head Start preschool. I completed my dissertation on the existential-phenomenological experience of procrastination.

    Since then, I have also gained experience working in therapeutic day schools and private practices. I am a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP) and have extensive training on utilizing CBT and ERP to treat anxiety and OCD-related disorders. I have also completed an intensive training on DBT. I have presented on the topics of procrastination and introversion.

  • Age 3 & up