About Bright Light Counseling Center
Mental Health Therapy in Chicago, IL & Austin, TX
We are a Locally-Owned Practice Dedicated to Your Mental Health Journey
Bright Light Counseling Center is a locally-owned, small mental health practice founded in 2015 by Dr. Beth Marnix and Adam Scartozzi, MA, LCPC, LMHC. Unlike large corporate therapy chains, we strive to remain connected to our communities in Chicago and Austin, providing personalized, culturally responsive mental health care that reflects the unique needs of each city we serve.
Our Story
Working together in community mental health, Dr. Beth Marnix and Adam Scartozzi, MA, LCPC, LMHC, cemented our love for helping others through the practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Through our many years of work in community mental health settings providing services to underserved communities, we learned that therapy is most beneficial when it is tailored to the needs and context of each individual or family. Through our years of professional training and supervision along with a strong foundation in generalist counseling we have acquired a diverse array of professional experiences.
While fulfilling, years of work in community mental health limited the ways we wanted to practice. With this in mind, we founded our own practice, Bright Light Counseling Center, in 2015, with the vision of striking an authentic balance between therapist and client needs. From the beginning we shared a vision of providing quality, individualized, and attuned counseling while creating a platform for therapists to feel sustained, enriched, and supported as they help others.
With our roots planted firmly in Chicago, we made the decision to expand into Austin, Texas in 2018, bringing our commitment to authentic, community-centered care to Central Texas.
What Makes Us Different
As a locally-owned practice, we offer something that large corporate mental health companies cannot: genuine connection and personalized attention. Being a small business means:
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Direct access to our founders who remain actively involved in client care and practice decisions
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Personalized therapist matching based on your specific needs, not automated algorithms
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Flexible, responsive service that adapts to our communities' evolving needs
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Authentic relationships built on trust, not corporate policies
We envision and work to design Bright Light Counseling Center as a practice that strives to play a positive role in the lives of a broad range of individuals and families through in-person, as well as teletherapy sessions throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Texas and beyond.
Our Mission
We believe that each person’s experience is important and that we are all capable of changing ourselves, because of, or despite that experience.
We are dedicated to providing quality psychological services and interactions that are founded on authenticity, respect, and best practices.
We strive to be reliable in all aspects of our practice and relationships.
We believe in contributing to our communities’ mental health and emotional wellness through accessible therapeutic services.
We are dedicated to helping light a path through life’s most complex and difficult matters.
Our Vision
We envision an organization of authentic, self-aware, and responsive professionals who appreciate, recognize, and empower others.
We strive to prioritize strong connections, internally and externally, while providing the highest quality services to our clientele.
Through our work and relationships we commit to each other and our clients with the belief that you can rediscover your own Bright Light.
Our Values
Quality
We embody quality through our therapeutic relationships, psychotherapy, and interactions with each other, our clients, and our communities.
Authentic
We engage with others and ourselves in ways that are congruent with our beliefs. We empower others to be the most authentic version of themselves.
Reliable
Our actions demonstrate our reliability and responsibility and responsiveness.
Respect
We demonstrate respect in our actions, words, nonverbal expressions both in and out of the therapy space.
Accessible
We strive to engage with others and in our communities so that our services and interactions are accessible and approachable in terms of space, time, and finances.
Our Approach to Mental Health Care
At Bright Light Counseling Center, we believe that effective mental health support requires ongoing commitment to understanding and serving our diverse communities. Our approach includes:
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Trauma-informed care across all therapeutic relationships
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LGBTQIA+ affirming practices and environments
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Culturally responsive therapy that honors diverse backgrounds and belief systems
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Active anti-racism work and examination of systemic oppression
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Collaborative partnerships between therapists and clients
Experience Change with Bright Light Counseling Center
Let us be the helping hand as you rediscover your own inner light. Whether you're seeking support for anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, or personal growth, our locally-owned practice provides the personalized attention and community connection that only a small business can offer.
Contact us today to begin your journey toward mental wellness with a practice that truly understands and serves the Chicago and Austin communities.