Jeffrey Sumber

I originally approached Jeffrey because of relationship problems I was having. I wanted to go in for couples counseling, but my girlfriend wanted nothing to do with it but I went in myself anyway. I am so pleased that I did, and I have been speaking with Jeffrey off and on for several years now.

On the surface, what seemed like what I was going in for was help salvaging a tumultuous relationship, it soon became evident that I was really there for self-improvement; all of us can benefit from this, nobody is perfect. Over time, as Jeffrey and I got to know each other better, he was able to help guide me in a more positive direction with myself.

Jeffrey is a placid and compassionate individual. He is very thoughtful with his words and his approach to therapy; you'll never feel like you're a patient on a shrinks couch. He'll speak with you rather that at you in order to help you through whatever problems you may be having. It's important not to be defensive and to be receptive to his counseling. He is always trying to help you.

Even today, since I have left Chicago, Jeffrey has always made himself available for whenever I felt like I needed to speak with someone. I appreciate how great our relationship has developed over the years and I am incredibly grateful for all his advice. It is important to find someone that you feel is right for you, but highly recommend going in for a consultation.. you certainly will not regret it.

He hurt more than he helped. This counselor has his own issues. It's more his therapy than yours. We would zone out. I timed the 35 min of our session he talked at us and used "I, me or My Wife..." terms, but we wanted to give it a chance, being patient because it's a process.

We found him to be Misogynistic, smug and distant. We didn't feel like he was listening, but rather lecturing to no one in particular. Personalities don't always mesh, but we would not recommend this counselor.

In follow up to the comment on my review...If one prides themselves on such "high ethical standards," they would have opted not to post a response including false and defamatory claims about a former patient.

His comment only further confirms the statements which I've made regarding the way Jeffrey chooses to conduct himself.

The facts listed are very cut and dry, judge for yourself.

So, the fiance and I hired Jeffrey Sumber to be our officiant and part of the costs require three pre-marital sessions. Since we wanted ours to be non-religious/secular, Jeffrey had asked us to come in so he could get to know us better and help us shape our ceremony to be befitting of us - what a great concept!

Our first intro session was FREE (yes, some things in life are free which is very very nice, especially if you're paying for a wedding anyway) and then, he also gave us a 50% discount after four pre-marital sessions with him - we've found his pre-marital sessions are extremely helpful - it's nice to have things laid out in a different manner. He's helping us see past the present and really help us lay out the foundation for our 'culture' together and for our lives together as one. He's also helping overcome little obstacles and something as silly as "why we fight over the center of the bed" - we're very confident in his abilities and look forward to having a beautiful ceremony that is catered to our personalities and our relationship.

I highly recommend him as an officiant (if you're going the non-religious route) and a counselor. Plus his office is right next door to Hopleaf and La Donna - another bonus right there, too! I'll probably add another addition to this review after the wedding ceremony.

EDIT: The above review was more so for our experience with Jeffrey as our officiant/pre-marital counselor but I've also worked with Jeffrey aside from that on some personal issues in addition to wedding preparation which includes my personal life, family, career, etc. He is very sincere and helpful in helping me reorganize myself and keep myself moving forward in a good way.

I met with Jeffrey for advice on my career and ended up gaining so much more from our meeting than I imagined. He is an extremely knowledgeable therapist with a broad background working with many different populations in a variety of settings. But what sets Jeffrey apart from many other therapists and counselors I have met is his genuine commitment to the basic and most important aspects of therapy--helping people THROUGH whatever issues/problems they are facing. I am someone who works in the mental health field and let me tell you that Jeffrey is unique in his approach. He doesn't expect you to sit on the couch for years and talk to the wall; he wants to work with you until you feel satisfied with your personal change.

In person, Jeffrey is engaged, willing to listen, and nonjudgemental. What's more, he takes an active approach in helping a person develop a vision for attainable and sustainable change in their lives. And after all, isn't that the point of therapy? If you're apprehensive about talking to another person about what's bothering you, then I highly recommend talking to Jeffrey. Trust me, it's worth it.

I attended several sessions with Jeffrey Sumber, and ended up spending most of the time with an associate of his who had cheaper rates.

Briefly, my two disappointments in my interactions with Mr. Sumber are:

-He advertised a sliding scale for lower income clients. When I inquired about this in our first meeting he said he doesn't really offer a sliding scale anymore "because I don't have to." He subsequently paired me up with an associate with lower rates, which turned out well. I went to Mr. Sumber for several couples' sessions and then when that relationship ended I continued individual sessions with his associate.

-I had a preliminary individual session with him where he asked if I loved my girlfriend (at the time). I hesitated in my answer and he said, "don't worry, I won't ask you that in front of her." Subsequently in our first couples session he totally asked me that same question in front of her!! I was shocked!

Based on Dee's review, my now-husband and I set up an appointment with Jeffrey to see if he'd be the guy to hitch us. He was just perfect--he spent two sessions just getting to know us, and then tailor-made the ceremony for us over two more sessions (with our input, of course). It was personal, special, funny, and everything we'd wanted.

Best yet, though, was that Jeffrey was a professional. He knew just how to put together the ceremony, had a lot of suggestions for us, and did a beautiful job (I'm still getting compliments). It was so much nicer than having a friend who'd gotten ordained online do it--although that way is very personal and is probably lovely, it was reassuring to know we had a pro in our corner who was just as involved with us as a friend would have been.

Highly recommended, and thanks Dee!!

My Husband and I hired Jeffrey to officiate our October 11, 2008 wedding. As neither of us attend church and have no relationships with a reverend we set out to find someone who would take the time to get to know us as a couple and bring an element of personality to the ceremony.

We are so delighted that we found Jeffery. While we were unable to partake in the 3 sessions of pre-marital counseling we had a great first meeting (which is free!) with him and immediately felt that working together would be a great experience. We were given a ceremony builder workbook filed with questions meant to evoke deep thought in how we've gotten to this point in our relationship. It was so much fun to fill this out together and it brought us a new level of excitement in getting married.

By the day of the wedding I was so anxious to hear what Jeffrey had put together for us. It was so personal and touching, we felt as if he had known us for many many years, in-fact many guests later asked how long we'd known him for. All were surprised to find out that we had only met him after we were engaged.

Between being very accessible in the months leading up to the wedding and the calming sense of control and organization at the rehearsal and on the day of the wedding, Jeffrey is a great individual to help lead you into this new chapter of your life. I would and will recommend him to anyone looking for an officiant.

Thank you Jeffrey!

Jeffrey is personable, intelligent, and talented at what he does. He has years upon years of experience, and it shows. I've had some of the most pivotal conversations of my life while chatting with this guy. He truly is someone that fosters personal growth and understanding every time you see him. Really grateful to know him.

I started seeing Jeffrey in April and couldn't be happier with our counseling relationship. From the beginning, Jeffrey's been responsive and flexible, which is exactly what I needed. He's attentive to my needs and has been able to guide me to a better place in my life. Jeffrey's able to illustrate in such a manner that allows me to see life situations as I've never seen before, thus allowing me to grow into more of the person that I want to be.

I couldn't be happier that I randomly found him on the Psychology Today website. Not being in Chicago long, I didn't have many recommendations. So be it luck or providence, I'm thankful for having him in my life to help me sort it all out, and am looking toward a positive future.