Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Rago.
Maria, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ever since I was a child I knew that I wanted to help people. Both of my grandmothers had suffered from mental illness at a time when no one really knew how to help them.
My love for my family inspired me to go into psychology with a deep respect and concern for the people I was treating. When I meet someone who is dealing with depression or anxiety, or alcohol or eating issues, or difficulty in their relationships, the first thing I do is SEE that person who is tangled underneath all of those symptoms. And I understand that the person is not “sick” but rather they are a bit lost. We all use coping skills that our lives outgrow at times, and they no longer work. The stress gets too high. Or there are too many emotions or events that we have not fully dealt with, so they hold us back from finding our true potential for success and happiness. It is an honor to connect with each person in the most respectful way, and to help them use their resources and their creative problem-solving to heal and move forward to find the passion and meaning in their lives.
Along the way, I have been fortunate to add some innovative and inspiring professionals to my team. I do not “hire” people for “positions.” Instead, I rarely meet a very talented person and I say to myself, “I HAVE to have this person on my staff!” I have only added people who I would trust to treat my own family members. This is how we have grown our company so that we could be able to touch more people’s lives, and to be touched in turn by theirs.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t have to tell you, but life is tough out there! As we have worked with our clients to change their thoughts and behaviors to better support their life goals, we found that life pushes back and challenges them from applying these changes. We learned to be sure to work with couples and family relationships to support these changes so they can go the distance and become long term.
Also, we found that all of the talk therapy in the world cannot help eating and body image issues without specialized dietitians to educate people on how to break destructive eating patterns. Typical dietitians know how to teach a “heart healthy” diet and even teach people to reduce their eating, essentially teaching their clients to go on diets! I am really proud to offer a non-dieting, intuitive eating approach to nutrition. Our dieticians know how to advise our clients and families to get out of self-defeating patterns that they may even realize that they are in.
We learn from what really works for our clients and families, and we have grown in our ability to support change and problem-solving for each person.
Please tell us about Rago and Associates.
Rago and Associates has been around for over 20 years, specializing in innovative and respectful ways to provide private counseling for people and their families. I am most proud of being able to help clients of all ages, so that we can help any member of the family.
At our Chicago office, we have several specializations that are unique. Patrick Trapp helps clients and their families with any kind of adoption issues. As an adoptee himself, he has special training and experience to advise in this important area. Patrick is also known for his work with children, teens, adults, couples and families.
Rago and Associates is well known for our excellence in helping people with eating disorders recovery. We use a team approach where our clients work with a dietician and a therapist to help them move forward away from eating disorders in the most effective way.
I myself do executive coaching from our Chicago office. I love to help busy professionals to become untangled from any issues that are interrupting their highest productivity and happiness.
And we also offer private yoga sessions. Stress management, trauma, anxiety, substance abuse and eating disorders are all areas where private yoga can make a true difference. Rather than a group or class, our private yoga sessions center on your unique needs. Spirituality, the mind, emotions and the physical body are all assisted with this practice.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Rago and Associates has grown in response to our clients’ needs, and in support of the unique specialties and interests of our staff. Our team members have been with Rago and Associates for 10 and 20 years and more. I cannot think of anything that I would want to have done differently along the way.
Contact Info:
- Address: Rago and Associates
218 N. Jefferson Street
Chicago - Website: www.ragotherapy.com
- Phone: 630-637-9300
- Email: maria@ragotherapy.com
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