10 AM - 8:00 PM
Mon - Fri
Good therapy doesn't begin with a method. It begins with two people meeting.
Gray Owl Psychotherapy is an integrative psychotherapy practice for adults, founded on the belief that lasting change grows from a deeper understanding of ourselves and from a therapeutic relationship grounded in trust, safety, and collaboration.
We have created a practice where the person always comes before the diagnosis, and where therapy is shaped around each individual's story, needs, and goals. We do not believe in universal solutions or ready-made answers. Instead, we believe that every person possesses the inner resources needed for healing and growth, and that psychotherapy helps people reconnect with those resources.
For us, psychotherapy is not about fixing people. It is a collaborative process of self-discovery, deeper understanding, and creating a life that reflects one's values and authentic self.
A diagnosis can be a valuable clinical tool, but it never tells the whole story. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, we seek to understand the person's life experiences, relationships, and the context in which their struggles developed.
Therapeutic methods matter, but they do not create change on their own. A relationship built on trust, safety, and genuine human connection provides the foundation for healing, self-understanding, and personal growth.
Psychotherapy is a collaborative process. The therapist brings clinical knowledge and professional experience; the client brings expertise about their own life. Lasting change emerges through this partnership.
We do not see people as broken or in need of repair. Healing is a process of reconnecting with yourself, strengthening your inner resources, and creating a life that feels meaningful and aligned with what truly matters.
Founder | Clinical Director | Psychotherapist
Greg Dziedzic is the founder of Gray Owl Psychotherapy and has been working with adults since 2010.
He began his professional career at Haymarket Center, home to the only Polish-language outpatient addiction treatment program outside Poland. He later worked at the Polish American Association (PAA) and the Association for Multicultural Behavioral Health (AMBH), where he expanded his experience supporting individuals struggling with addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, and major life challenges.
Greg provides both individual and group psychotherapy.
His clinical interests include addiction and long-term recovery, adult ADHD, relational trauma, and helping clients build lives that feel more authentic and meaningful. He also offers adult ADHD assessments as well as preparation and integration support for psychedelic experiences within the context of psychotherapy.
He practices integrative psychotherapy, drawing primarily from Schema Therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS) while incorporating mindfulness and body-based approaches. His work is guided by the belief that therapeutic models are valuable but should always serve the individual—not the other way around.
His many years of working with people in recovery inspired him to write Niech Ja będzie z Tobą ("May the Self Be With You"), a book exploring recovery as a process of reconnecting with oneself and developing emotional maturity.
He is also the author of crime novels, where—much like in psychotherapy—his greatest interest lies in understanding people, their stories, and the motivations behind their choices.
Office Manager | Psychodietitian
Magdalena oversees the day-to-day operations of Gray Owl Psychotherapy and is often the first person our clients meet. She helps create a welcoming and supportive first experience by providing clear guidance, kindness, and thoughtful communication from the very first contact.
As a psychodietitian, she supports people who want to better understand their eating habits, the relationship between emotions and food, and develop a healthier, more sustainable relationship with eating.
Rather than focusing on restriction or pursuing the "perfect" diet, she emphasizes understanding the body's needs, making realistic everyday choices, and building habits that can be maintained over time.
She also works with individuals experiencing depression, chronic anxiety, and low energy, helping them explore how emotional wellbeing influences appetite, eating patterns, and daily nutrition. Her work complements psychotherapy by supporting both physical and emotional wellbeing.
Her approach is beautifully captured in one simple sentence:
"Stop starving yourself. Start nourishing yourself."
Therapist
Alex believes that meaningful change begins with a deeper understanding of ourselves. Each person's story is shaped by relationships, life experiences, and the environments in which they were raised. Therapy offers an opportunity to slow down, make sense of those experiences, and move forward with greater clarity, intention, and self-awareness.
He works with adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, low self-esteem, communication challenges, work-life balance, and life transitions. Alex has a particular interest in men's mental health, blue-collar culture, attachment, labor-related concerns, and the unique challenges that arise during quarter-life and midlife transitions.
Alex's therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and grounded in curiosity. He believes that lasting change comes not only through insight, but also through experience. Inspired by the tradition of learning through doing, he encourages clients to actively practice new ways of thinking, feeling, and relating, helping them carry what they discover in therapy into their everyday lives.
Raised in a working-class family with a multigenerational military background, Alex previously worked in farming and construction before becoming a therapist. These experiences continue to shape his practical, down-to-earth approach to psychotherapy and allow him to connect naturally with clients whose work is an important part of their identity. He also continues to develop his skills as an electrician, viewing hands-on work as a source of grounding, humility, and lifelong learning.
Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in human biology from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and his master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University. Outside of his clinical work, he enjoys spending time in nature, being a devoted uncle, and sharing stories that connect people through shared experience.
Therapist
Valentino Diaz is a counselor who works with adolescents and adults experiencing
anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, identity concerns, and life
transitions. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side as the son of immigrant parents,
Valentino is proud to be a Latino male in a profession where Latino men remain
underrepresented.
Before becoming a counselor, Valentino spent six years in law enforcement, including
three years working midnights on the South Side. He later transitioned into behavioral
health, spending three years on an acute psychiatric unit and more than three years
providing emergency psychiatric crisis care, work he continues today. These
experiences have given him a deep understanding of trauma, hardship, and the
importance of remaining grounded when difficult subjects arise.
Valentino integrates CBT, ACT, attachment theory, and Schema Therapy while
maintaining a style that is direct, warm, collaborative, and genuine. He does not see
himself as an expert on someone else’s life, but as a fellow human being with his own
experiences, mistakes, and growth who can offer clinical knowledge, perspective, and a
safe place to explore difficult parts of life.
He also has a strong interest in psychedelic preparation and integration and approaches
psychedelic experiences with respect, curiosity, and an emphasis on turning insight into
meaningful change. Valentino values humor and authenticity in therapy and is not afraid
to bring his South Side roots into the room while always remaining professional.
Gray Owl is more than the name of our practice.
Across cultures, the owl has long symbolized wisdom, patience, and mindful awareness—not the wisdom of having all the answers, but the wisdom that comes from listening deeply, observing carefully, and staying connected to what truly matters.
For the founder of Gray Owl, the owl also carries a deep personal meaning. It serves as a reminder that genuine transformation is not about becoming someone else, but about reconnecting with the wisdom that already exists within us.
This symbolism has become the foundation of our practice.
We strive to meet every person with presence, humility, respect, and genuine curiosity. We believe that within this kind of relationship people can better understand themselves, heal old wounds, and create lasting, meaningful change.