About Me

My name is Juan Barriga, and I’m a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Illinois. I have 10 years of clinical experience working with children (as young as 3 years old), adolescents, adults, older adults, families, and couples in the Chicagoland area. 

I’m a proud Chicagoan (from the southwest side) who grew up in a Mexican-American household. Being raised by my immigrant parents, I learned to value and appreciate my education and my community, which is why my values, oftentimes, show up in the work that I do. I have previous clinical training and work experiences in academic settings, outpatient and inpatient settings, forensic settings, community health settings, and group practice settings.

I value social justice, and I truly believe that “knowledge is power.” I am passionate in empowering people not only through my clinical work, but also through research, advocacy, community outreach, supervision, consultation, teaching, and volunteering.

I am a “systems” clinician, which you can learn more below (My Approach to Therapy). I believe in the African proverb, that it “takes a village to raise a child.” We thrive through social and community support, so we can be the best versions of ourselves. I hope that I can be a source of support to help you be the best version of yourself!

When I am not working, I enjoy spending quality time with loved ones, watching comedy TV shows, cooking, volunteering, traveling, reading autobiographies, visiting art museums, dancing, attending concerts, and collecting vinyl records and CD’s. I recently started appreciating photography, which you can find throughout my website!

Dr. Juan M. Barriga, Jr.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

My Approach to Therapy

As a “systems” psychologist, I use a relational, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed approach to better understand a person and their experiences. I take into account how people with unique identities may have different circumstances based on:

  1. The interactions they have both directly and indirectly with others (e.g., family members, friends, work/school peers, partners, and community members).

  2. The environments they are in (e.g., school, work, and neighborhood)

  3. The larger systems that may be affecting their well-being (e.g., welfare policies, economic system, political systems, legal/justice systems, and social and cultural values).

We are all diverse, and we carry many identities and backgrounds such as:

  • Age and generational differences

  • Race and ethnicity

  • Disability (developmental or acquired)

  • Sex and gender identity

  • Sexual orientation

  • Socioeconomic status

  • Religious and spiritual orientation

  • National origin and language

  • Indigenous heritage

My mission is to collaborate with my client(s) in order to make therapy meaningful and purposeful for them for whatever short-term or long-term goals they may have. My approach is flexible and adaptive to customize and meet their needs. I can provide coping skills, communication skills, and much more. I can also provide insight for self-awareness and awareness of others, so they can identify patterns and improve on their behaviors, feelings, and relationships. I make sure that you can see that regardless of your circumstances, you also carry strengths.

To learn more about the approaches I use in therapy, please click on Treatment Approaches below. You can also learn more about my Areas of Expertise. Lastly, because some clients have therapist preferences, you can also learn about My Identities.

My ultimate goal is to meet you where you are at to empower you, so you can be where you want to be in mind, body, and spirit.

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