If you work in behavioral health, you probably know the feeling: you finish the clinical work, close the note…and then the other work begins. Credentialing. Claims. Reimbursement rates. Documentation requests. Trying to figure out why one plan paid differently from another. Wondering whether a 60-minute session is going to trigger additional scrutiny. None of that is why most of us got into this field. But all of it affects our ability to actually do the work. That is why Ill

Finding the right mental health support can feel overwhelming. I understand how important it is to have access to compassionate, culturally responsive care that truly meets your needs. In Chicago, there are many resources designed to help individuals, couples, families, and professionals navigate challenges like anxiety, trauma, life transitions, and personal growth. This post will guide you through unlocking these valuable mental health resources, focusing on trauma-informed

The term downcoding describes an insurer changing a submitted service code to a lower-paying level. BCBSIL’s own notice states that, for dates of service beginning July 1, 2026, its enhanced review applies to professional claims for office, inpatient, and outpatient evaluation and management services under commercial plans. When the insurer determines that the billed level is unsupported, it pays a lower level. Providers who disagree may submit supporting medical records.

Chicago’s new Safe Ride Specialist program reflects a broader movement toward treating behavioral-health crises as matters of care, safety, and connection—not automatically as crimes.

For clients, caregivers, clinicians, and communities alike, it may be one of the practices that allows care to remain sustainable, relational, and alive. You do not have to reach complete exhaustion before your need for rest becomes legitimate. Rest is not a reward for finishing everything. It is part of being human.

Despite an onslaught of mandates aimed at destroying the political will of the people and creating opportunity to revolt and uproot the communist regime, Cubans wait in perpetuity. Wait for change that may yet come, wait for relief that is barred from its shores, wait for a dignified response to the slow violence that all but erases hope for the future. And still, Cuba has demonstrated that continued survival may be the most powerful iteration of defense and liberation on dis

When life feels overwhelming, and emotions seem tangled in ways words cannot fully express, I have found somatic therapy to be a gentle and effective path toward healing. This approach connects the mind and body, helping us release stored tension and trauma through awareness of physical sensations. In Illinois, many people are discovering how somatic therapy can support their mental and emotional well-being in a compassionate, trauma-informed way. Somatic therapy offers a uni

When you choose According To Sykes, you're choosing a practice that believes excellent care comes from clinicians who are supported, continually learning, and deeply committed to helping clients navigate life's challenges with skill, compassion, and integrity.

At According To Sykes, we believe that access to mental healthcare begins with transparency. Our goal is to make the financial side of therapy as clear and approachable as the clinical side, so you can feel confident from your very first appointment.

Identity is more than a label. It includes the experiences, relationships, values, cultures, and communities that shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. Identity-affirming therapy recognizes these influences and invites them into the therapeutic process rather than asking clients to leave them at the door.