Things Not Working Out? Let’s Figure It Out

Maybe you know exactly what’s bothering you.

Maybe you don’t.

You might be anxious, frustrated, angry, grieving, stuck in a relationship, struggling with something that happened years ago, or simply wondering why life seems harder than it should right now.

You may have tried ignoring it.

Thinking your way through it.

Keeping busy.

Telling yourself to get over it.

Sometimes those strategies work.

Until they don’t.

Counseling gives you a place to slow things down, talk honestly about what’s happening, and start making sense of it.

I’m Todd Burd, a counselor in Rockford, Illinois. My approach is conversational, straightforward, and practical. I draw heavily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

That means sometimes we’ll examine the way you’re thinking about a problem.

Other times, we’ll recognize that the problem isn’t a thought or feeling that needs to be eliminated. Instead, we’ll work on changing your relationship with it so you can spend more time living according to what actually matters to you.

You don’t have to walk into my office knowing exactly what to say.

That’s something we can figure out together.

Live Life With Fewer Regrets

My Services

Maybe Some of This Sounds Familiar...

You cannot seem to shut your mind off.

You replay conversations after they happen.

You are more irritable than you used to be.

Something from the past still affects the present.

You know what you should do but keep doing something else.

You are tired of having the same argument.

You are going through a change and are not sure what comes next.

You look reasonably functional from the outside but know something is not right.

Sometimes people come to counseling because they are simply tired of repeating the same patterns. That’s enough of a reason to start.

Counseling Doesn't Have To Feel Clinical

Therapy isn’t about lying on a couch while someone silently takes notes and occasionally asks:

“How does that make you feel?”

At least that’s not how I work.

We’ll talk.

I’ll listen carefully, but I’ll also participate.

I’ll ask questions.

We’ll look for patterns.

I’ll sometimes challenge the way you’re looking at something.

At other times, I may challenge the assumption that you need to solve, control, or get rid of everything you’re thinking and feeling before you can move forward.

Some conversations will be serious.

Some will be uncomfortable.

Sometimes we’ll laugh.

The goal isn’t to spend the rest of your life talking about your problems.

The goal is to understand yourself well enough that you have more freedom in deciding what you do next.

You Probably Want to Know Who You’re Going to Be Talking To...

Fair enough.

I’m Todd Burd.

Before becoming a counselor, I spent 22 years serving in the United States Navy and a few more years in corporate and nonprofit leadership.

That experience exposed me to people from different backgrounds, personalities, circumstances, and ways of looking at the world.

It also taught me quite a bit about functioning under pressure.

About responsibility.

About adapting.

About getting the job done whether you feel like it or not.

And about how easy it can be to become very good at pushing difficult things aside so you can keep moving.

Sometimes that’s exactly what a situation requires.

The problem comes when a strategy that was useful in one part of life becomes the only strategy we know how to use.

Today, I bring that life experience along with my counseling training into my work with clients.

Meet Todd

Primarily In Person -- Telehealth When It Helps

Connected Counseling is primarily an in-person practice in Rockford.

When circumstances make an office visit difficult, telehealth may sometimes provide a useful backup or adjunct to in-person counseling.

This can help maintain continuity during travel, weather, scheduling conflicts, transportation problems, or other temporary circumstances.

Same counselor. Same goals. Different setting when needed.

You Don’t Need to Have Everything Figured Out Before You Contact Me

Step 1 - Reach Out

Tell Todd a little about what is happening.

Step 2 - See Whether It’s a Good Fit

Discuss goals, availability, insurance, and whether Todd’s experience fits what the client needs.

Step 3 - Meet In Person

When practical and appropriate, begin at the Rockford office.

Step 4 - Use Flexibility When Needed

Telehealth may occasionally support continuity if getting to the office becomes difficult.

Ready to Start a Conversation?

You don’t need to tell your whole story in an appointment request.

Tell me a little about what’s happening.

We’ll take it from there.

Request Appointment