Dr. Ann Maureen McCaughan

Dr. Ann Maureen McCaughan holds a PhD and a Master’s in Counseling and Counselor Education and brings 18 years of experience as a counselor, supervisor, and educator. She practices in Illinois and teaches full time, which helps her stay up to date with current counseling ideas and research. Her approach is direct but gentle, and she treats each person as the expert on their own life.

She helps people clarify what matters to them and set realistic goals. Sessions focus on spotting habits that get in the way and trying practical alternatives. Common issues she addresses include anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting stress, career transitions, and anger.

Dr. McCaughan uses therapies that center relationships and personal meaning along with tools to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She aims to respect each person’s values and bring those into the work. The goal is more satisfaction and a clearer sense of what changes might help.

Her background includes work with young adults in transition and with people across the lifespan. She also has experience with adoption and foster care issues, attachment concerns, caregiver stress, codependency, and grief. Her practice reflects both clinical work and academic teaching.

Sessions are intended to be collaborative: she listens, offers observations, and supports practical steps toward change. People who want a thoughtful, goal-focused conversation and a mix of relational and skills-based approaches may find her style helpful.

How her approaches guide online work

Dr. McCaughan practices from approaches that emphasize relationships and practical change. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationships shape feelings and behavior; it can help with intimacy, attachment issues, and relationship patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on how thoughts and habits affect mood and actions and is useful for anxiety, depression, anger, and coping with stress. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centers on emotions in close relationships and can help people understand and shift difficult emotional patterns.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. She will listen to your goals and preferences and then suggest options from these methods. The plan can change as you try things and see what fits best; the process is collaborative rather than prescriptive.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the available session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit conversations into a busy life, reduce travel time, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and help maintain continuity during life changes. Licensed professionals, including therapists, can adapt relational and skills-based methods to work well in remote sessions when both people agree on how to proceed.