Our Therapists

Alison McGannon

LCPC

About: Alison is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with experience working with individuals, youth, couples, and families struggling with a variety of issues. Her perspective is a solution focused one that views individuals as the experts on their own lives. She provides goal-directed treatment focusing on a person’s strengths. Alison believes that the relationship, connection, and trust between a client and counselor is the true measure of how helpful the counseling experience will be for an individual. She has been practicing as a professional counselor for the last 14 years. She has worked in outpatient mental health settings, residential treatment settings, social service settings, employee assistance firms, and private practice for the last 14 years.

Education: Alison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2001 with a major in Sociology, and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University in 2005.

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Relationship Issues, Anxiety

Anastasia Scangas

LCSW

About: Anastasia utilizes a client centered, empowerment-based approach; she believes that the client is the expert on their life, and, while they may know what they want to work on, she can assist in identifying tools they already have, and developing new tools needed to achieve goals. Anastasia believes in the power of the therapeutic relationship, and understands that there is no “one size fits all” modality. Anastasia’s “objective” as a therapist is to help the client move towards self actualization through self-discovery and skill development. Anastasia employs ACT, CBT, DBT, and other modalities as determined by the case and the client. When possible, Anastasia brings neurochemical and neurobiological aspects into the therapeutic space, uniting her two areas of specialization. Anastasia is a licensed clinical social worker; she obtained her master of social work degree from Loyola University Chicago in 2016. Anastasia specialized in working with women, POC, and the LGBTQIA community. Prior to entering the field, she obtained her master of science in organic chemistry from Northwestern University, specializing in neuro-medicinal chemistry.

Education: Master’s Degree in Social Work: Concentration in Mental Health from Loyola University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: sexual assault/abuse, eating disorders, mood disorders, Trauma-informed, client/empowerment centered, feminist, ACT, DBT, CBT, MI modalities.

Anne Pothour

LCSW

About: Anne Pothour is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who provides individual therapy with a particular interest in helping people heal from trauma. Her approach is attentive and non-judgmental. She will sit with you as you share your pain, listen, and explore with curiosity to encourage a deeper understanding of your emotions. Anne views people as experts in their own lives and will utilize your strengths to work toward change. Anne enjoys assisting people in identifying, expressing, and regulating their emotions.

Education: Master’s Degree in Social Work from Loyola University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Emerging adults and college students, relationship issues, excessive worry, mood disorders

Arielle Smith

About: You deserve to live your best life. Do you find yourself being good to others, and maybe not so good to yourself? Are you exhausted and emotionally drained from the pressures of life? Has your confidence taken a hit and you don’t know how to recover? With busy lives, pressures of juggling work, relationships, and social life, we all strive to keep it together, but you don’t have to do it alone! You are the expert of your life; however, I am here and willing to help you take those next steps to get back to that person you miss.I provide individual therapy to those who feel that they have lost themselves, are overwhelmed with past trauma, as well as those who often feel anxious and shy away from their potential. Together, we will go on a journey to explore self-worth and purpose. We will create goals, coping skills and necessary boundaries.

Education: Master’s Degree in Social Work from Chicago State University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Emerging adults and college students, relationship issues, excessive worry, mood disorders

Batool Almoshelli

LCPC

About: Batool has worked with children, adolescents, adults and families for the past 7 years specializing in helping those who have experienced trauma and challenging life transitions. She also works with behavioral issues, anxiety, mood regulation, emotional struggles, family and relationship issues, and multicultural/minority clients.

Education: Batool has a BS in Psychology from UIUC and a Masters in Counseling from Loyola University.

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Trauma and PTSD, life transitions, women’s issues

Ben Tudor

ALMFT

About: Ben has worked with a diverse range of people and presenting concerns. He is experienced in creating a personalized treatment process for each client while integrating empirically proven interventions. Therapy is a tool to develop the skills and insights necessary to achieve your goals, and actively engage in the relationships and communities you are a part of.

Education: Adler University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Relationship Issues, Family Conflict, Self Esteem

Breanna Sacco

MA, LPC

About: Breanna helps people manage anxiety, depression, and trauma by helping them to bring a greater sense of awareness and acceptance to their lives. Breanna and her clients examine and interpret thoughts and emotions to then decide how to move forward. She uses a holistic approach and incorporate the mind-body connection.

Education: The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD

Cherie Lusky

Art Therapist, MS, ATR, LCPC, SEP

About: Cherie mainly works with adults experiencing a variety of life transitions and struggles such as a recent move or relationship issues as well as emotional issues such as trauma, mood and anxiety disorders. In therapy, she will work with clients on developing different ways of thinking and being as well as forming new ways to cope with emotions and situations. Her approach to the therapeutic process is holistic. She completed a three year Somatic Experiencing Institute training to enhance the mind-body work that she already does. Being trained as a counselor and an art therapist, she use these modalities to determine what is appropriate for her clients.

Education: Mount Mary University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression

Dean Boland

LSW

About: Dean is a licensed social worker who specializes in trauma, relationship issues, self-esteem, and anxiety. Their approach to therapy is grounded in harm reduction, mindfulness, and social justice, and they prioritize collaborating with clients to build safety, transparency, and trust. Dean’s style is based in compassion, curiosity, humor, and acceptance, and they are passionate about providing affirming therapy for artists and performers, activists, and client’s holding marginalized identities, particularly LGBTQIA+ and disabled clients. Dean helps clients learn to live in the present moment, manage painful emotions, develop self-compassion, and build stronger, more genuine relationships.

Education: Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: LGBTQIA+, disabled persons, Complex trauma/PTSD; anxiety; relationship concerns; identity exploration, self-worth and self-esteem; chronic illness/pain, and neurodivergence

Diane Moncher

LCSW

About: As a clinical social worker I have worked in child welfare and mental health. My work has provided experience in assessment and crisis intervention. I have done short-term and long term therapeutic work with clients, including a small private practice. Beyond clinical experience my work has involved problem solving at a macro-level, conducting research, writing training material for child protection workers in evidence based treatment and evaluating approaches to clinical work. I hope to continue to establish means for workers in the field to be able to use evidence based practice in their daily activities, especially in the area of decision-making, problem-solving and family conferencing. I also have an interest in studying resilience.

Education: Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information

Elizabeth Muckley

LCPC

About: Elizabeth specializes in helping people of all ages access their creativity through the use of the dramatic “as if.” By employing dramatic reality in her sessions, clients can create reparative worlds where what should have happened – but did not – can be given shape and meaning in the here and now. Over the last 30 years, Elizabeth has worked in social service agencies, clinics and hospital settings. She currently teaches in the Masters of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling Program at Adler University in downtown Chicago.

Education: California Institute of Integral Studies

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Anxiety, depression, mood disorders

Emily Thornton

MSW, LCSW, CYT-200

About: Emily is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and certified yoga instructor with training in trauma-informed interventions, mindfulness-based approaches to personal growth and healing, and a background in creative arts. Emily brings together her dynamic experience and training to build a collaborative connection with each individual she works with and does her best to develop rapport that leads to a feeling of safety, openness, and willingness to take healthy risks to create desired change.

Education: Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fiction Writing; Master of Social Work Degree; 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information

Specialties: Yoga-informed psychotherapy, DBT, ACT, trauma-informed services, body-centered psychotherapy

Francesca Cole Barnes

LCPC

About: As your therapist, Francesca’s goal is to help you feel at peace and at ease when sharing your life’s story and to offer a space of empathy and active listening. Together you will journey through your life, whether past or present, in order to get you to the future you so rightfully deserve. And because your mental health is important to you, it’s important to her. What makes her therapy practice unique is her love for transparency and honesty. From day one, the goal is to build a relationship based on trust in order to sustain a strong therapeutic alliance. As a team, you both will work together to create therapy goals that will allow you to live your best life ever.

Education: Roosevelt University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Child or adolescent, parenting, coping skills

Gina Snavlin

LCPC

About: Gina Snavlin is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who believes that therapy is a unique and individualized experience, and works closely to help clients identify and create meaningful changes in their personal lives. She utilizes an integrative approach, drawing from cognitive therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy, as well as relaxation and mindfulness techniques. Additionally, Gina has training in EMDR, an innovative therapy used to help treat trauma, depression, and other symptoms. Gina earned her Master’s Degree from Roosevelt University. Prior to private practice work, she has worked in both substance abuse and community mental health settings.

Education: Roosevelt University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD, relationship issues

Hillary Wildt

PSYD, LCP

About: Hillary focuses on equipping children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families with insight, knowledge, tools, and skills to live healthy and balanced lives. Often, her clients already have the personal strengths and relationship skills that they will need to live a healthier life, and her work involves simply helping them uncover and utilize these strengths. She aims to empower clients to advocate for themselves within the contexts in which they live. Hillary strives to provide therapy that is culturally and contextually informed and that integrates psychological research and theory to provide the best and most appropriate care.

Education: Hillary has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology.

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Trauma, complex trauma, relationship difficulties, marriage/ family therapy, grief and mourning

Jackie Chavez, MMFT

About: Jackie Chavez’s professional training supports working with individuals, couples, and families. She has experience working with clients who have struggled with challenges including – but not limited to – anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, and relationship issues. Jackie works from a client-centered and integrative approach and is passionate about helping her clients cultivate, growth, hope, and community. In her free time, Jackie loves to read, watch Netflix, and take workout classes on her Peloton.

Education: BA in psychology from DePaul University and Masters in Marriage and Family therapy from Adler University.

Specialties: anxiety, depression, trauma, and PTSD

Jacquelyn Pfeifer

About: As a relationship and family therapist, Jacquelyn provides a non-judgmental and affirming space that acknowledges and celebrates the beauty of human experience. Her approach to therapy focuses on helping you to identify, explore, and, if helpful, lift constraints that may be interfering with the ability to live your definition of a healthy, balanced life.

Education: Jacquelyn earnedearner her Master’s Degree in Couple and Family Therapy from Adler University.

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Relationship issues, trauma and PTSD, transgender clients

Johnathan Spitz

PSYD

About: Jonathan Spitz is a licensed psychologist. Jonathan works with his clients in a collaborative nature, emphasizing the development of a unique and genuine therapeutic relationship. His aim is to create an environment where clients feel comfortable, safe, and empowered through your work together. Jonathan uses an integrative approach including aspects of cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and constructivist therapies. As needed, he also incorporates breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness techniques as a means of furthering the connection between mind and body. Prior to full-time private practice, Jonathan worked for almost a decade in different college/university counseling centers.

Education: Jonathan earned a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Depression, trauma and PTSD, anxiety

Laura Davis

LPC

About: Laura has a laid-back yet intentional style, collaborating with clients to move through the process effectively and comfortably. As a team, Laura and her clients will explore relational and societal dynamics, furthering their sense of empowerment to address what brought them in. Ultimately, she works to expand possibility in their life. She is purposeful in helping her clients prioritize what is important to them and feel more connected to others. She has experience in different settings including a domestic violence shelter, serving as a rape crisis counselor in emergency departments throughout Chicago, and at a community college wellness center.

Education: Laura earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling from DePaul University.

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Relationship issues, depression, sexual abuse

Mary Beth Ryan

Megan Frank

LPC, MA

About: Megan’s passion for helping clients find and accept their true sense of self is based on the foundation that we all have the inner resources and strengths to cope with life’s (and our own!) pressures. She works to understand the complexity of your individual experiences, needs, values, and identities. She provides a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can explore, heal, and accept all parts of themselves. She is compassionate, curious, open, and dedicated to collaborating with you to foster healing and meet your goals. Megan has worked in two residential treatment centers, private practice, and with children and families in foster care and school systems. Her experiences have allowed her to build relationships that help people create the change they want for themselves and she would be honored to join you on your therapeutic journey.

Education: Megan earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology (Counseling Practice) from Roosevelt University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Trauma and PTSD, relationship issues, eating disorders

Merari Fernandez Castro

LCSW

About: Merari is a clinical social worker, a yoga teacher and psychotherapist who has developed her career in working with traumatized populations. She has strived to help clients connect with deeper and conflicting parts of themselvesof the themselves as a result of difficult and painful life experiences. She has worked for not for profit organizations and group psychotherapy practices with a focus on trauma, sexual assault and domestic violence. Her passion for this area of work became apparent during her first years in social work school in which she intern in Puerto Rico at a not for profit agency serving domestic violence survivors. Since then, she has developed and diversified her skills integrating psychodynamic and mindfulness practices in working with survivors of trauma.

Education: Merari has a bachelor and master in social work. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Work

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information

Specialties: Trauma, sexual assault, domestic violence, chronic pain, dissociation, intimacy and relationship difficulties, sexual orientation, immigration, race, LGBTQA, divorce and custody issues, native Spanish speaker

Payal Sud

LCSW

About: Through collaboration, Payal and you together can create an individualized and comprehensive plan to help you create an identity of your own, integrate positive practices into your daily interactions, and grow to live a happy and healthy life. She provides full-spectrum and client-specific treatment to children, adolescents, and adults in a warm, genuine, and safe environment. Because she believes in the importance of a consistent therapeutic relationship, she accommodate clients by providing sliding scale fees, in-home visits, on-line sessions and office visits. She is trained in Pranic, Reiki healing, and vibrational sound massage. Other nontalk therapy services are also provided, such as tea therapy, pet therapy, walk n talk, etc. Payal is LGBT and kink friendly. I employ LCSWs, LPCs, and interns, so prices can be reduced.

Education: Loyola University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information

Specialties: Anxiety, depression, domestic violence

Rosondunnii Marshall, MMFT

About: Rosondunnii Marshall is passionate about partnering with clients who are willing to work together to achieve their goals. The ideal client for her is someone who is ready for something different. Rosondunnii understands that it’s normal to feel fear when stepping into change and she works with her clients so they don’t have to be stopped or dismayed by said fears or doubts.

Education: Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy

Specialties: Child/Adolescent, Marital//Premarital, and Trauma/PTSD

Shaysa Villa

About: Shay is a Clinical Social Worker/ Psychotherapist. Shay has a long history of working with individuals who have experienced complex trauma while utilizing trauma-informed care. As a therapist, Shay often finds a strong connection with people she works with and creates a space where individuals feel “truly understood”. Shay works well with young adults needing to process daily stressors, transitions, and social comparison; along with history of trauma.

Education: Shay has a bachelors from Hood College in Spanish Literature and Social Work. A masters from Loyola University of Chicago from Loyola University of Chicago specializing in mental health and migration studies.

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information

Specialties: Depression, anxiety, family conflict, Bilingual English/Spanish

Tenisha Phillips

LPC

About: Tenisha Phillips MS., NCC LPC is currently a Clinical Mental Health Therapist at Norwegian American Hospital on Chicago’s westside, an adjunct professor in Psychology at National Louis University, and Owner/ CEO of PhillipsSims LLC. Ms. Phillips passion and dedication for social justice advocacy and being mentally healthy shows in her ability to participate in these roles and still pursue her education as a Ph.D. Counselor Education and Supervision student at Capella University. Her past experiences have provided her opportunities to focus in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, and being a mentor to youth. Ms. Phillips has also participated in various not-for-profit community events with clients such as IDPH for World AIDS Day, Russell Simmons Hip Hop Summit, and was a speaker for UCAN. Along with her work and volunteer efforts she is focused on acquiring her PH.D., and building her brand, PhillipsSims LLC, which will be centered around mental health. In her spare time she enjoys music, poetry, and spending time with family and friends.

Education: Capella University

Hours available for new clients: Contact Greenlight for more information.

Specialties: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-focused, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy