Dr. Tak-Seng Lodrö

Executive Director

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Areas of Expertise & Interest

Each therapist is trained as a generalist, meaning, that they can work with most difficulties. As their career progresses, they tend to gravitate toward particular issues and mine are listed below:

• Trauma and PTSD
• OCD and Anxiety Related Disorders
• Mood Disorders (Depression, etc.)
• Adolescents (12+) and Young Adults
• Parenting and Family Difficulties
• Couples and Relationship Issues

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to discuss your specific concern and how I can support you.

Education

Like my employment, my education has also been varied and for the same reasons. Though I completed my bachelors degree with a major in Psychology, I (unofficially) have minors in fine art, philosophy, business management and IT development. Again, all of this was not haphazard but the product of someone who chose to test out different things in order to determine what career capture my interest for decades. Now, I’m immensely grateful that my background is so diverse because as a Clinical Psychologist, it’s allowed me to relate to a wider variety of people, their challenges and different fields. It’s also allowed me to bring a great deal of business knowledge to my work within mental health. Working as a Psychologist allows me to bring all of my experience, talents, interests and values into one profession.

Professional Background

Since working as a teenager, all of my jobs (and there have been many different ones) have involved helping people. I’ve worked in restaurants, briefly as a carpenter, as a customer service rep, as a project manager and business analyst, in a Buddhist center as the Director of Membership and Volunteering, and so on. Some people have mistakenly assumed that I was unfocused, but it was quite the opposite. Fundamentally, I knew that I could do well at whatever I put my mind to, so at an early age I started to experiment with different types of work. Many of these experiences were meant to help me figure out what career would channel my passions and be the most satisfying. While Psychology was always the field that I had in mind, it wasn’t until my mid-20’s that I was ready for it.

Professional Experience

As my CV notes, my experience in the field of Psychology and Mental Health has varied. Each position has been extremely growth promoting and enriching. I’ve learned so much in my work with people in crisis, such as with those in inpatient settings, and from those who have more subtle or minor issues that are ongoing. While I didn’t plan to work with adolescents as I progressed through my doctorate, I’ve found that it’s been a perfect fit. In fact, I think working with adolescents and their families/parents has been one of the most challenging and fulfilling things that I’ve done. From my perspective, if a Psychologist or other type of therapist can work well with multiple people in the same family while maintaining effective boundaries and separate relationships, then they can work with nearly anyone. Granted, working in a forensic setting is likely to be the exception. Nonetheless, other situations tend to be less complex for the therapist, but the content of the issues may require some research and careful consideration. I’ve worked with some of the most challenging issues and disorders, but also with those that are very minor. Therefore, I know that I have the ability to help nearly any client with their difficulties, but I’ll also be the first one to admit if my limitation will not be able to serve them adequately. If I don’t feel properly equipped to support someone then I won’t hesitate to refer them to someone else. In my view, a good Psychologist or therapist knows their limits. They’ll also admit them without hesitation because what’s most important is that the client receives adequate care.

Simply put, I love my work and I find that it’s such a privilege to spend time with people where my job is to care and support them as they learn how to navigate their relationships, thoughts and emotions. Witnessing someone make positive changes in their life and to feel their eventual success is such a precious, sacred and amazing thing that I know that I will never grow tired of it.

A Little About Me…

I was born and raised in a far Western Suburbs of Chicago and both sides of my family generally came from the Midwest. After completing his enlistment in the Army, my father served as a police officer for roughly three decades and my mother was primarily a stay at home mother until my sister and I were older. Though, she did work various part-time jobs. As it happens in many other families, my parents divorced, when I was 11, and I lived with my father while my sister went off to college.

Before and after the divorce, our family life was very difficult and painful for all of us. I experienced severe anxiety and depression throughout childhood and into high school. At the age of 10, I elected to start therapy with the help of my father. What surprised me was how much I loved it. It became quickly obvious how much I could learn about myself, others and how we work as humans…I was hooked! Over time, it helped me become grounded, aware, and allowed me to better empathize with others.

I continued therapy for roughly 9 years and used it every so often after that. I found that it was important to continue reflecting and changing, regardless of being in therapy or not, because that meant that I was perpetually improving while maintaining the positive changes I had already made. Throughout the years, I’ve lived in Phoenix, Chicago and Milwaukee, but the culture and people of Chicago (especially the city) have always felt more like home to me. Despite its problems I enjoy the energy, diversity, and the neighborhoods in the city make it an amazing place to me. While my wife, Rachel, and I always dream of moving out West or to the Pacific Northwest, we’ll always consider Chicago our home.

Now, you may have wondered about my name, especially given my appearance. Through my years of therapy, meditative journaling, artwork and other activities that developed my cognitive abilities, I found that my personal psychology went through several deep transformations. In my mid-20’s, when I first encountered Buddhism, I realized that it perfectly explained how I had changed and gained insights into what it really means to be human. Consequently, I was immediately hooked and in 2008, I took the Buddhist Refuge Vow where I received a Tibetan name from a Senior Buddhist Teacher. I legally change my name the following year. For me, the name that I was given is a reminder to practice and improve each day. Some have assumed that I’m rigidly religious or “out there,” but neither is true. I love the practices, the study of Buddhist texts and discussing them with those who are also interested…but I also like and dislike things like everyone else.