Dante Painter, LSW

Dante is a clinician who practices complete acceptance of a client’s whole person. Nothing is too strange or dark to talk about. He sees you as the expert on your life and his role as a therapist is to be an honest companion for part of your journey. Dante takes an experiential approach to emotional struggles, helping clients explore new ways to interact with challenges in a safe environment. Therapy modalities that inform Dante’s approach are Contextual Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (C-DBT or Inferential DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing. Throughout any method, Dante practices Trauma-Responsive care and Harm Reduction principles.

Dante enjoys working with both adolescents and adults. Areas that Dante is particularly knowledgeable in are anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), sexual trauma, abusive dynamics, self-injury, and addiction. Dante is also a member of the LGBTQ community and happy to explore gender and sexuality.

Dante obtained his Master of Arts degree in Social Work with a Clinical Concentration from the University of Chicago. He also completed the Contextual Behavioral Practices Program of Study with Dr. Paul Holmes. Dante has clinical experience in community mental health with adolescents in intensive outpatient programs.

In his free time, Dante enjoys spending chill time with his 3 cats, reading Gothic fiction, and taking any opportunities to be outside playing in the mud.

You can reach Dante at 773.345.8330 x225 or dpainter@chicagocounselingservices.com.