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Maureen Tamillow, LCPC

Relationship & Couples Counseling
Hinsdale Illinois 60521

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About  Maureen Tamillow

Marriage Counseling, Relationship Counseling, Family Counseling

I have been an active marriage therapist since 1975.  My first cases were marital and family cases predominantly through the community services program in Chicago.  Before that time, and since then until today’s date I have taken a number of clinical therapy courses at the doctoral level and gone to conferences which include marital therapy issues and taken mediation courses through the Illinois Mediation Program conducted at Northwestern.  My personal philosophy is based on experiences and beliefs that couples are best off when they enter the marital union with a commitment towards permanence.  Over the thirty plus years of working with couples, I have only had a few (about five) couples who terminated their relationship.  Out of this small number, three of the couples stayed in therapy in order to parent the best way possible as a once married, now separated or divorced couple.  Interestingly, they have become better friends through this process.

I have also learned many things from couples, courses, reading and reflecting that have enriched my work as a Marriage Friendly Therapist.  I have learned:

  1. that people in the United States are very diverse.  As a country, we have many cultures, religions, beliefs about relationships (as spouses, as parents,) socio-economic backgrounds and we need to share these beliefs and understandings with our partner.
  2. That people in this country are very idealistic, particularly when it comes to marriage and the status of the marriage.  Almost every young couple with whom I have met comes to my office with a fantasy of the perfect marriage.  However, they might each have a different idea of what that “perfect” is and they need to communicate each of their own ideas to their partner.
  3. Many American couples marry soon after meeting and so before they truly know their partner.  Sometimes they demonstrate that believe that their partner thinks, feels and believes identically to them and they are very disappointed when they realize they didn’t marry their mirror image;
  4. More people want to stay married than the statistics express and wanting to stay married is probably one of the most important elements in staying married.  They haven’t verbalized it to each other, but they want to be “friends.”  This desire to stay married and become “true friends” creates a comfortable therapy environment and helps many couples weather the storms that can occur during the time period that they are learning to be friends.
  5. Almost any mistake can be forgiven when a couple takes a marriage friendly approach.  We learn throughout life that forgiving “friends” maintains relationships and preserves the personal histories that friends share.

As a Marriage Friendly Therapist, I use certain techniques that create Marriage Friendliness, but also create the skills to maintain the individual “friends” that live within the couple’s relationship.  I start out immediately by

  1. Having the couple tell me how and where they met – what made each of them say yes to marrying the other;
  2. Telling me and each other what support systems they have in place; if they have children; if their parents live close by; if any siblings live close by; if they are in any community groups together;
  3. What they like to do to have fun together; what things they have in common; and finally,
  4. What are their biggest areas of disagreement and/ or differences?

I utilize predominantly Psychodynamic therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy, (yes: I do give “fun homework”) and cultural anthropological education, especially when people have very different backgrounds.  I believe that Marriage Friendly is a wonderful term because the greatest focus of our work together as a couple and a therapist is to learn how to be “friends” while in an intimate relationship. I always desire to be a stimulus/coordinator/collaborator to help two people in a marriage become “friends” since it is the friendship which makes a richer, stronger relationship and leads to lasting love and growth-promoting relationships.  I strongly identify with the concept of a Marriage Friendly Therapist by values, beliefs, and education.

Call or email me today to get started on the road to a happier, healthier relationship.


Contact Information

Phone Number
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Business/ Practice Name
Maureen P. Tamillow, LCPC,RDDP, PEL
Street Address
111 W. Chicago
Suite, Apt, Other
Suite G01
City
Hinsdale
State
Illinois
Zip Code
60521
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License Certification

What type of license/certification do you hold?
LCPC - Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
License Number
180-001057
License State
IL
What type of license/certification do you hold?
Regsistered Dual Diagnostician (Addiction and Mental Health)
2nd License Number
rddp 25778
2nd License State
IL
What type of license/certification do you hold?
Professional Educators License: educator/counselor/administrator
3rd License Number
2514664
3rd License State
IL

Education

Graduate School/University
Governors State University
Highest Degree Earned
M. A.
Graduation Year
1975
Gender
Female
Therapy Settings
In Office Online Phone

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