Christopher "Chris" Dueker
Practical, evidence-based therapy for lasting change
About Christopher
Christopher "Chris" Dueker brings an approach grounded in evidence-based therapies and nearly two decades of clinical practice. As an LCPC licensed in Illinois (IL LCPC 180.005614), he blends cognitive and emotion-focused methods to help people address stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, and relationship and intimacy concerns.
Background and approach
His repertoire includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, and client-centered techniques that emphasize practical skills and personal values. Chris focuses on helping clients shift unhelpful patterns by teaching alternative thoughts, behaviors, and communication strategies.
He works with issues such as grief, parenting challenges, bipolar disorder, ADHD, self-esteem, career stress, and a wide range of attachment and personality-related concerns including abandonment, codependency, dissociation, and avoidant or dependent traits. Over 18 years he has prioritized helping people replace avoidance-driven habits with coping skills that support purpose and emotional regulation.
Sessions aim to improve conflict resolution, reduce negative thinking cycles, and build positive communication habits. Based in Illinois, he conducts therapy in English and offers multiple remote session formats to fit differing schedules and preferences.
Evidence-Based Approaches Adapted for Online Care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clients clarify what matters to them and build actions consistent with those values while learning to accept difficult emotions rather than battling them, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns through practical exercises and skill building, often used for stress, mood concerns, and addiction-related habits. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills to reduce intense emotions and improve relationships.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, personal preferences, and symptom patterns to determine which combination of ACT, CBT, DBT, attachment-informed, or client-centered work best fits each person's needs and adjusts the plan as progress unfolds.
Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for busy schedules and different communication preferences. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care, practice skills between sessions, and access support from Illinois-licensed professionals without needing to travel.
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Trichotillomania
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Experience
- 18 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English