Therapy in Merrillville, IN & Chicago, IL for Individuals, Couples, and Families
Not Just a Place to Vent.
Therapy that helps you understand patterns, break cycles, and create real change
In-network with Aetna & BCBS PPO
Start with a free 15-minute consultation.
Therapy That Helps You Move Forward — Not Stay Stuck
At Relational Wellness Therapy, we believe meaningful change happens through safe, supportive relationships. Our therapists offer compassionate, trauma-informed care for individuals, couples, and families navigating stress, emotional pain, and relationship challenges.
We provide secure online therapy to clients throughout Illinois and Indiana, making high-quality mental health care accessible and flexible for busy lives.
You might be here because something feels stuck, overwhelming, or hard to navigate on your own
We can help with:
What Our Clients Say
Meet Our Therapists
Virtual Therapy services throughout Indiana and Illinois
Elizabeth Hackney, MS, LMFTA
Associate-licensed Therapist
Elizabeth helps individuals, couples, and families navigate life transitions, relationships, and maternal mental health with warmth, steadiness, and a trauma-informed approach.
Her specialties:
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Motherhood can bring joy, love, and meaning—but also exhaustion, anxiety, and strain in relationships. Through maternal mental health therapy, Elizabeth offers space to process these changes, strengthen support systems, and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. You don’t have to navigate this transition alone.
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Every relationship faces challenges, from communication struggles to trust issues. Couples therapy provides a space to slow down, feel heard, and begin reconnecting.
Together, we work to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and deepen emotional and physical intimacy in a way that feels meaningful and sustainable.
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Families can be a source of love and support—but also conflict, stress, and miscommunication. Through family therapy, Elizabeth helps create space for each voice to be heard while working toward greater understanding and connection.
Together, we focus on rebuilding trust, improving communication, and creating healthier relational patterns
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Trauma can leave you feeling stuck, unsafe, or disconnected from yourself and others. Through trauma therapy, Elizabeth provides a compassionate space to process difficult experiences, reduce distress, and begin to feel more grounded and in control again.
Ailina Casas, BS, I/T
MFT Intern Therapist
Ailina helps clients navigate relationships, emotions, and growth with warmth, curiosity, and a collaborative approach
Her specialties:
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Through couples therapy, Ailina works with partners to strengthen communication, deepen emotional connection, and navigate conflict in healthier, more collaborative ways. She helps couples better understand each other’s experiences while building tools to foster trust, intimacy, and shared growth.
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Through family therapy, Ailina supports families in addressing conflict, improving communication, and navigating life transitions together. Her work focuses on helping each member feel heard while strengthening connection and creating more supportive family dynamics.
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Through individual therapy, Ailina supports clients in exploring identity, processing past experiences, and building confidence to navigate life with greater clarity and self-trust. Her approach centers on helping individuals better understand themselves and move forward in ways that feel aligned and intentional.
Keegan Salisbury, MS, LMFTA, CFLE-P
Associate-licensed Therapist
Keegan helps clients navigate self-exploration, trauma, and relationships with curiosity, insight, and a focus on deeper understanding and growth.
His specialties:
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People are complex. We’re constantly growing and changing in ways that are unique to us—and sometimes those changes can feel confusing, “off,” or hard to understand. Through individual therapy, Keegan helps clients develop deeper self-insight and move toward self-acceptance in a way that actually fits who they are.
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Relationships can be deeply fulfilling, but they can also feel complicated or difficult to navigate. Some people struggle to maintain close relationships, while others find it hard to form them in the first place.
Through individual therapy, Keegan helps clients reflect on their relational patterns, understand their experiences with others, and begin to shift those patterns.
For those looking to work directly on a relationship, we also offer couples therapy and family therapy, creating space to improve communication, rebuild connection, and develop healthier ways of relating.
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For some, identity feels clear. For others, it can feel uncertain, evolving, or difficult to put into words. Questions about gender and sexuality can be deeply personal—and sometimes hard to explore alone.
Through individual therapy, Keegan offers a collaborative, affirming space to explore identity, understand your experiences, and make sense of how relationships and external influences shape your sense of self.
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Distressing or overwhelming experiences can impact how we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. These experiences can make it harder to feel present, connected, or in control.
As part of EMDR therapy, Keegan uses EMDR to help clients process distressing or triggering experiences and move toward the changes they want to see in their lives.
Stephanie Peng, BS, I/T
MFT Intern Therapist
Stephanie helps individuals and families navigate relationships, identity, and change with warmth, clarity, and a grounded, compassionate approach
Her specialties:
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Through couples therapy, Stephanie helps partners identify and shift negative interactional patterns, increase emotional engagement, and build more secure, lasting emotional bonds. Her work focuses on creating a space where both partners feel understood while strengthening connection and trust.
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Through family therapy, Stephanie supports families in understanding attachment needs, improving emotional responsiveness, and strengthening connection within the context of intergenerational and cultural dynamics. Her approach helps families move toward more supportive and emotionally attuned relationships.
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Through individual therapy, Stephanie works with clients to deepen emotional awareness, explore identity and belonging, and develop more secure and compassionate relationships with themselves and others. Her work supports individuals in building insight and creating meaningful, lasting change.
Briana Roberts, PhD, LMFT
Founder & Owner
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Loving across cultures can be deeply rewarding, but it can also bring unique challenges. Through interracial couples therapy, we create space to explore cultural differences, communication patterns, and family dynamics with curiosity and respect.
Together, we work to strengthen understanding, build trust, and deepen connection so both partners feel seen, valued, and supported.
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Exploring who you are within the context of culture, family, and relationships can feel complicated. Through identity development therapy, we create space to unpack expectations, honor your background, and gain clarity in who you are becoming.
Together, we strengthen your sense of self so you can move through the world with more confidence, alignment, and authenticity.
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Every relationship experiences moments of disconnection, stress, or change. Through couples therapy and family therapy, we create space to slow down, understand one another more fully, and begin rebuilding trust.
Together, we focus on improving communication, working through conflict, and fostering deeper, more authentic connection within your relationships.
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Difficult or overwhelming experiences can stay with you long after they happen, impacting how you feel, respond, and relate to others. EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-focused approach that helps your brain process and heal from these experiences.
Rather than needing to talk through every detail, EMDR uses gentle bilateral stimulation—such as eye movements or tapping—to reduce the emotional intensity of painful memories. This allows you to feel more grounded, less triggered, and more in control so you can move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
Briana helps you explore identity, culture, and relationships with depth and clarity so you can understand patterns and create meaningful, lasting change.
Her specialties:
Therapy Services
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Identity Development
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Trauma Therapy
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Couples Therapy
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
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Family Therapy
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Therapy for Interracial Couples
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Maternal Mental Health
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Individual Therapy
Not sure where to start? Book a free consultation
Insurance Accepted
Why Choose Us
Why Clients Choose Relational Wellness Therapy:
Trauma-informed therapy that supports real, lasting change
A relational approach that helps you understand patterns and move forward
Experienced LMFTs and supervised therapists
Affordable therapy options with flexible support
Convenient online therapy across Indiana and Illinois
