DENISE K. AMBRE, LCSW (she/her)

Founder and Practice Owner
Direct Line: (708) 480-2813

As a psychotherapist and certified psychoanalyst, I believe that by exploring the unconscious and making it conscious, you can become who you want to be in this world. This belief guides my work with adults and adolescents facing depression, stress, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, relationship concerns, and attachment issues.

I also offer family therapy and parenting support, helping clients navigate complex relational dynamics. No matter the challenge, I believe old patterns can be broken, creating space to replace sadness with joy and build fulfilling relationships.

What’s one strength clients often notice about you?

I take pride in providing a comfortable, friendly, and authentic atmosphere that puts people at ease, particularly as they begin to work through difficult or painful experiences. My goal is to let clients share their stories in a safe, constructive environment where they are comfortable exploring their feelings. That’s the first step toward healing old wounds and finding a measure of inner peace.

I describe my approach as psychodynamic, and I’m also a trained analyst. I meet each client at their own personal "starting line." We work together to examine connections between the unconscious and conscious, identify specific patterns of behavior, and develop strategies for overcoming them.

What kinds of challenges do people usually bring to you?

Our early experiences in life—especially with our families of origin—affect our relationships and how we perceive and interact with the world. I work with adults and adolescents struggling with depression, stress and anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, relationship concerns, and attachment issues. I also provide family therapy and parenting support, and will introduce some cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) when appropriate.

When I work with clients who have trauma or PTSD, it’s with the understanding that whether the traumatic event occurred yesterday or 20 years ago, we don't have to suffer its negative effects indefinitely. Everyone defines trauma differently, be it a loss of a loved one, a failed marriage, a physical or sexual assault, or any event that has impacted a client’s life. No matter the source of a client’s trauma, my goal is to help them heal, survive, and thrive. 

What drew you to this work?

I view my role in helping people courageously move forward in their lives as a privilege, but I didn’t begin my career in this field. After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in Engineering, I worked in the corporate world for a few years. 

However, I soon realized that I needed work that aligned with my core values of helping others overcome significant challenges and achieve lasting change. That understanding led me to return to graduate school at Loyola University for my Master’s in Social Work and then to get my Analytic training at the Wisconsin Institute for Psychoanalysis.

Now, I continue to draw purpose from helping clients overcome debilitating emotional problems and accomplish meaningful, sustainable change in their lives. Through our growth at Ambre Associates, we've been able to extend this work and multiply our collective impact in our community.

Why did you choose to establish Ambre Associates?

I started my private practice about 30 years ago. Over the years, I grew it to include four or five clinicians to amplify the limited impact I knew I could have as a solo practice. Yet even with a team of full-time therapists, we know it’s still hard for some people to access the care they need. That’s why I ask each of my therapists to take one or two pro bono cases, so we extend our reach into the community as much as possible.

How does your training help you support your clients? 

The foundation provided by my training at Loyola University and the Wisconsin Psychoanalytic Institute (WPI), and decades of working with clients, has been strengthened by real-world experience supporting individuals and communities through trauma, transition, and healing. From working with NYC first responders and airline personnel after 9/11, placing institutionalized and orphaned children in Mongolia with loving families, and consulting on suicide prevention in local schools, I’ve been privileged to walk alongside people at some of the most vulnerable points in their lives.

I earned my Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University, Chicago, and a Graduate Certificate in Adult Psychoanalysis from the Wisconsin Psychoanalytic Institute (WPI), Milwaukee, WI.

In addition to private practice, I’m an educator who enjoys supporting future generations of clinical professionals. I teach courses in psychoanalysis at WPI and supervise psychology graduate students at Northwestern University, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Engineering.


Click here to read an interview with Denise in Voyage Chicago.