Community Corner

Local Therapist Says There's Life After Oprah

Oak Lawn therapist Kim DeJong offers advice for coping with Oprah withdrawal.

She was beloved by millions when she looked like Mrs. Butterworth and when she pulled a wagon filled with 67 pounds of fat. Today, after 25 years, the great Oprah Winfrey bids so long to daytime television and her 9 a.m. Chicago time slot on Channel 7.

Whether you loved her or hated her, most of us have an Oprah memory. It might have been the talk show titan’s interviews with neo-Nazis, Tom Cruise jumping on the Oprah couch or Mackenzie Phillips’ disturbing revelations that she had slept with her dad.

For some of us, however, Oprah’s departure from her Chicago-based show and her penchant for product placement is going to leave a mighty big void to fill. Patch asked Kim DeJong, a therapist with the Genesis Therapy Center in Oak Lawn, if there is life after Oprah.

Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I think she has been helpful to a lot of people in opening discussion around a lot of sensitive issues not typically talked about in the community,” DeJong said.

While admitting she wasn’t a regular Oprah viewer because she has a job and works during the day, DeJong said the shows she did catch focused on a variety of mental health issues.

Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“One thing she has been able to accomplish through the years are a number of pieces highlighting mental health and sexual abuse through her own experiences,” DeJong said.  

“Through covering those issues on her program, she’s helped bring an awareness to the community on how prevalent they are and helped reduce the stigma around those issues,” DeJong added.

DeJong pointed to several memorable Oprah moments: the shows on hoarding, infidelity and postpartum depression came to mind.

“Those are issues that people come to us for,” DeJong said. “Oprah opened a discussion so people don’t feel so isolated or alone. They’re more comfortable addressing these issues for themselves and are more comfortable making appointments for counseling or talking it over with their doctor.”

For those for whom Oprah was a co-dependent addiction, DeJong advised people to rely on their own support systems of family and community.

“Certainly making use of online communities as well as other resources in the community to support the needs they were having met by Oprah,” DeJong said.

“If people think they need further support, there are family counseling centers that are readily available to them,” the therapist added.

What about Oprah’s pal, Dr. Phil?

“I’ve seen Dr. Phil less than I’ve seen Oprah,” DeJong said. “I don’t know clinically how he’s been helpful.”

Still, DeJong recognizes Oprah’s impact on the community.

“My hope will be that Oprah continues to follow through with her activism and philanthropy that has been one of her hallmarks throughout the years,” DeJong said.

The Genesis Center offers therapy and counseling services for individuals, families, couples, children and adolescents on a sliding fee scale. Offices are located in Oak Forest, Downers Grove, Oak Park, Oak Lawn, Aurora and Chicago. For more information, call 708-535-7320.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here