Counselors in Training

Everyone has a story. 

As your therapist, I will provide a safe, nonjudgmental environment so we can collaboratively explore the hurdles that prevent you from fulfillment and healing. In utilizing a strength-based approach that emphasizes mindfulness, empathy and overcoming, we will investigate thought and behavioral patterns that impact your life.  In looking through your lens, my goal is to help you develop awareness. Through awareness of patterns that perpetuate “stuck points” in your life, we will take a closer look at your past and how it prevents you from embracing the present moment.

Through these “aha” moments, I will help you create changed behavior and lasting change. Sometimes the path to understanding comes from allowing your felt experience and then nurturing it, rather than being resistant to it.  

While taking the first steps toward therapy can be intimidating, it can also be the most courageous part of your journey. I will prioritize your needs and encourage a partnership dynamic when establishing, implementing, and meeting your goals.  My goal is to help you live a more meaningful and authentic life.

Education:  Frances is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University . 

Supervised by Michael Villarreal, LCPC, State of Illinois #180010064 

Specialties include:   

• Anger Management
• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Conflict Resolution 
• Depressive and Mood Disorders
• Gender and Sexual Identity Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Intimacy Issues
• Low Self-esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Stress Management

 Accepted Insurance:

• BlueCross BlueShield - BlueChoice PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Preferred PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Blue Options/BlueChoice Options
• BlueCross BlueShield - Participating Provider Organization
• CIGNA Behavioral Health 
• Sliding Scale Offered 

I believe we each have a unique and valid experience in life, and that being able to tell our story is an important path towards healing and self-discovery. I also believe that challenges in life can block our efforts to fully engage in what is most important to us. To explore these challenges can be a vulnerable and deeply rewarding process, and I hope to move through this process together and to support you on your path forward.

I also believe that you are the expert of your own experience. That you have an innate sense of when life feels misaligned and how to redirect to live more in line with your values and goals. In moments of discomfort and disconnection, it can be challenging to tap into these inner resources. In collaborating together, I strive to build a safe and non-judgmental space where we can explore new insights with a shared sense of trust, openness, and acceptance.

My clinical interests include navigating life transitions, conflict in relationships, identity exploration, grief and loss, complex trauma responses, mindfulness, and body-centered practices.  

Beginning therapy can be a difficult and empowering step. I look forward to getting to know you and am grateful for this opportunity to share in your path towards living life more fully. 

Education:  Samantha is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University . 

Supervised by Michael Villarreal, LCPC, State of Illinois #180010064 

Specialties include:   

• Anger Management
• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Conflict Resolution 
• Depressive and Mood Disorders
• Gender and Sexual Identity Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Intimacy Issues
• Low Self-esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Stress Management

 Accepted Insurance:

• BlueCross BlueShield - BlueChoice PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Preferred PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Blue Options/BlueChoice Options
• BlueCross BlueShield - Participating Provider Organization
• CIGNA Behavioral Health 
• Sliding Scale Offered 

It is impossible to think of therapy as a “one-size-fits-all” concept. 

I am a firm believer that through a trusting collaboration between me as your therapist and you as my client, we can find the most tailored and effective ways to assist you in living your fullest, safest, and healthiest life. No one will ever be able to fully understand what another individual is going through, so as a therapist, I strive to do my best to remind you that you are the expert of your own experience. As a therapist, I want to provide a space that feels safe and client-paced; I hope to encourage you to better understand your emotions, your environments, your relationships with others, and yourself in order to live the life you know fits your needs. 

By better understanding your past and present and using a socioecological lens, we can continue to build on current strengths together. The work we do together will be guided by your expertise and my expertise should be seen as a tool. Oftentimes, when we feel as though we are struggling, we blame ourselves and feel as though everything is out of our control; my job is to help you control what you can, while regulating your experience of what you cannot. We will work through an approach for self love, kindness, and acceptance. 

As your therapist, I want to make sure I understand all important parts of your identity within the contexts of your life. I want to hear your story. 

Education: Andrea is pursuing Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Prior to this, Andrea graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BA in English and a minor in Secondary Education and served as a public school teacher. 

Supervised by Michael Villarreal, LCPC, State of Illinois #180010064 

Specialties include:   

• Anger Management
• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Conflict Resolution 
• Depressive and Mood Disorders
• Gender and Sexual Identity Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Intimacy Issues
• Intersection of Race and Ethnicity
• Low Self-esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Stress Management

 Accepted Insurance:

• BlueCross BlueShield - BlueChoice PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Preferred PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Blue Options/BlueChoice Options
• BlueCross BlueShield - Participating Provider Organization
• CIGNA Behavioral Health 
• Sliding Scale Offered 

We all need to be seen, safe, heard, and connected—within ourselves and in relationship to others.

While we all hold great strengths within to meet these needs, we can at times lose sight of them throughout the turbulence of life. We may feel a general sense of unease or find strategies that used to keep us safe now create further discord. As your therapist I seek to create a nonjudgmental therapeutic space where you can look at where you are, where you would like to be, and consider how to make that a reality.

Sometimes this looks like examining patterns that may not be working for you and gaining insight into how they developed. Other times it may look like allowing your feelings to be fully expressed or holding space for you to tell your story.

Through a client-centered integrative approach, I will work with you to strengthen your inner teacher, facilitate authentic communication, and create space where you may embrace your full self-expression so that you can regain sight of these strengths that have always been within you.

Thank you for taking the time to consider me as your therapist. I look forward to getting to know you and wish you the best on your journey.

Education: Hannah is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adler University.

Supervised by Michael Villarreal, LCPC, State of Illinois #180010064 

Specialties include:   

• Anger Management
• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Conflict Resolution 
• Depressive and Mood Disorders
• Gender and Sexual Identity Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Intimacy Issues
• Low Self-esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Stress Management

 Accepted Insurance:

• BlueCross BlueShield - BlueChoice PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Preferred PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Blue Options/BlueChoice Options
• BlueCross BlueShield - Participating Provider Organization
• CIGNA Behavioral Health 
• Sliding Scale Offered 

As your counselor, my goal is never to “fix” you. Rather, I hope to engage you in an insightful and hopeful process that brings you a deeper understanding of yourself, your emotions, your past, and your patterns. 

I know that we are often at our most vulnerable when we seek counseling. The process of exploring and uncovering ourselves is not only challenging, but often supremely uncomfortable. With warmth, humor, and utmost acceptance, I will work with you to develop an individualized plan that makes you feel empowered and enriches your relationships–including the one you have with yourself.

In our work together, I will use an integrative approach grounded in psychodynamic and feminist theory that honors who you are and where you come from. I encourage you to take the next step in your healing process by prioritizing your mental health when you’re ready. 

Education:  Brianna is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through The Family Institute at Northwestern University.  Prior to pursuing a counseling career, Brianna graduated from Northwestern with degrees in journalism and international studies, and has a decade of experience working in the healthcare industry.

Supervised by Michael Villarreal, LCPC, State of Illinois #180010064 

Specialties include:   

• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Body image and eating issues
• Conflict Resolution 
• Depressive and Mood Disorders
• Gender and Sexual Identity Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Intimacy Issues
• Low Self-esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Stress Management

 Accepted Insurance:

• BlueCross BlueShield - BlueChoice PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Preferred PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Blue Options/BlueChoice Options
• BlueCross BlueShield - Participating Provider Organization
• CIGNA Behavioral Health 
• Sliding Scale Offered 

Let’s cocreate a therapeutic space where you can give voice to your experience and be recognized for your authentic self without judgment, shame, or fear. Fundamental to my therapeutic philosophy working both with individuals and couples is that while we all crave actualization, closeness, and intimacy, we often find ourselves feeling stuck, alienated, and disconnected. We cling to our “go-to” strategies for getting our needs met because they are familiar, even when they no longer work for us and may even hurt us. 

Together, let’s develop strategies that work for you, rather than against you. When we find purpose in our pain and meaning in our struggles through counseling, we forge a path forward that transcends our challenges and unlocks new possibilities. 

Doing “life” differently can be both exhilarating and scary. Let’s take those first steps together.

I use an interactive and integrative approach that honors your past while also being goals-driven and forward-leaning. Our work together will draw upon your existing strengths and will uncover inner resources that perhaps you’ve underutilized or undervalued. I work from a cultural humility perspective and am committed to understanding what your identities mean to you and your place in the world.

No matter where you’re starting from, let’s get you where you want to go together. It’s never too early or too late to make a change.

Education:  Stefanie is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through The Family Institute at Northwestern University.  Prior to pursuing a counseling career, Stefanie graduated from Cornell University with a degree in psychology and received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School

Supervised by Michael Villarreal, LCPC, State of Illinois #180010064 

Specialties include:   

• Anger Management
• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Conflict Resolution 
• Depressive and Mood Disorders
• Gender and Sexual Identity Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Intimacy Issues
• Low Self-esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Stress Management

 Accepted Insurance:

• BlueCross BlueShield - BlueChoice PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Preferred PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Blue Options/BlueChoice Options
• BlueCross BlueShield - Participating Provider Organization
• CIGNA Behavioral Health 
• Sliding Scale Offered 

Human lives are messy, full of unexpected obstacles and losses. Yet a compassionate

perspective on these challenges can bring us a sense of meaning, hope, and growth.

As your therapist, I will listen to your story with curiosity, humility, and respect for your life experience. In a safe therapeutic setting, we can seek ways to heal old wounds, strengthen your relationships, and help you pursue your goals. We will work

collaboratively to consider new coping skills and strategies that might better meet your current needs.

Together, we can explore the big or small issues that make you feel stuck. Building

awareness in the present moment can help you find peace, clarity, and direction.

Though starting therapy can be daunting, I strive to offer warmth, humor, and

understanding to support you wherever you are in your journey. Lasting change is

possible, and it begins with accepting you exactly as you are.

Education: Thomas is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University.  Thomas has years of experience as an actor and educator and holds a Master’s in Child Development and Education from the University of Oxford.

Supervised by Michael Villarreal, LCPC, State of Illinois #180010064 

Specialties include:   

• Anger Management
• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Conflict Resolution 
• Depressive and Mood Disorders
• Gender and Sexual Identity Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Intimacy Issues
• Low Self-esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Stress Management

 Accepted Insurance:

• BlueCross BlueShield - BlueChoice PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Preferred PPO
• BlueCross BlueShield - Blue Options/BlueChoice Options
• BlueCross BlueShield - Participating Provider Organization
• CIGNA Behavioral Health 
• Sliding Scale Offered