DASC CHICAGO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Therapist in Training
- Therapist in Training ( She / Her )
Andrea Haidar is a third-year doctoral student in clinical psychology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also a licensed clinical social worker and certified yoga teacher. In her clinical practice, Andrea integrates approaches from mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to help people who are experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and other emotional and interpersonal difficulties. Her research is focused on increasing access to culturally acceptable and accessible care for minoritized populations, especially people of color, immigrants, and refugees. Andrea speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic, and her prior clinical experience includes working as a trilingual psychotherapist at a federally qualified health center. She has also provided outpatient assessment and psychotherapy services as a trainee at Northwestern Medicine. She holds a master's in social work and a bachelor's in sociology from the University of Chicago. In her free time, Andrea enjoys strength training, walking along the lake, reading fiction, spending time with friends and family, and going on spontaneous adventures around Chicago's neighborhoods with her husband.
Anna Freedman, MSW, LSW is a staff therapist at the Depression and Anxiety Specialty Clinic of Chicago. Anna was a member of DASC's 2021-2022 Advance CBT Fellowship cohort. She holds a Master of Social Work, specializing in mental health, from Loyola University School of Social Work. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.
Anna's practice with clients is deeply rooted in an anti-oppressive framework, centering people as the experts in their own experiences. Her style is patient, warm, relational, enthusiastic, and creative. She considers it a great honor to be present with people as they navigate periods of opportunity and challenge.
Anna's professional experience and interests include:
Supporting helping professionals (clergy, caregivers, health care workers, educators, activists, volunteers, community leaders/organizers, etc.)
Life transitions (emerging adulthood; relationship changes; identity development; health changes; becoming a parent/caregiver/grandparent; career changes; retirement; socioeconomic changes, grief and loss, and more)
Affirming practice with LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities
Neurodiversity affirming
Workflow & time management
Supporting individuals interested in building meaningful connections with others and creating loving boundaries
Hello, my name is Ashley. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Duke University in 2016. Following undergrad, I spent 2 years working at the Mount Sinai Eating and Weight Disorders Program in NYC. I am currently a 4 th year graduate student within the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. My studies focus on exploring brain and behavior relationships through neuroimaging methods. I am passionate about how exploring the brain can inform our understanding of behavior and how behavior may shape our brain.
Professionally, I have worked with adolescents, adults, and older adults through a variety of contexts. I utilize an evidenced based approach including ACT, CBT, and DBT skills tailored to individual needs. I believe understanding each individual in their personal context is critical for a person-centered approach to treatment. I enjoy working collaboratively with and advocating for my clients to meet their treatment goals.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Social Worker
- Director of Operations
Chelsea Ragsdale is a licensed clinical social worker and the Director of Operations at the Depression and Anxiety Specialty Clinic of Chicago. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and German from DePauw University. Ms. Ragsdale then obtained her Master's degree in Social Work from The University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, with a concentration in clinical practice.
Ms. Ragsdale has over five years of experience providing mental health treatment to diverse populations, including individuals suffering with depression, anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and substance use disorders. Prior to joining DASC, Ms. Ragsdale was a Team Leader for an Assertive Community Treatment team at Thresholds, where she served as the senior clinician on the team. Through this role, she provided supervision to staff on her team and direct therapeutic services to individuals in the community.
Hi, my name is Chris Williams, and I'm so glad that you took one of the hardest steps in your mental health journey…looking for a therapist! It can be hard to find someone who fits the criteria of what you're looking for, or even trying to figure out WHAT you're looking for, so let me tell you a little about me…
Job Titles:
- Fellowship Program Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Billing Administrator
- Senior Billing Administrator
Job Titles:
- PsyD, Post - Doctoral Fellow
- PsyD, Post - Doctoral Fellow ( She / Her )
Job Titles:
- Quality of Clinical
- Staff Psychologist
I am a staff therapist at the Depression and Anxiety Specialty Clinic of Chicago. I earned my Bachelor's degree in psychology from Stony Brook University and doctoral degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I completed predoctoral practica in the Addictive, Compulsive, and Impulsive Disorders Clinic at the University of Chicago and in the Primary Care and Hematology/Oncology Departments at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital. I completed my doctoral internship at the University of Chicago Medicine, doing rotations in General Adult Psychiatry, OCD and Related Disorders, Women's Health, and Eating Disorders. My dissertation examined behavioral and neural correlates of reward processing in individuals with a history of depression. I completed my post-doctoral fellowship at DASC.
I use CBT, ERP, ACT, and DBT to treat adults with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD and related disorders, and emotion dysregulation. I draw from evidence-based practices to form a treatment approach tailored to each person's individual strengths and preferences. I strive to create a collaborative relationship with clients to help them make concrete changes in their lives. My goal is to support clients in gaining insight, psychological flexibility, and fulfillment. I aim to empower clients with the skills and knowledge to be their own therapist as they continue on in life.
Job Titles:
- Advanced Clinical Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow ( She / Her )
I have experience working in a variety of settings, including wellness programming on a college campus, an agency assisting young mothers and children, and a high school community health clinic. My background in diversity and inclusion education drives the work I do each day. I have worked with adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, eating disorders, interpersonal changes, low self-esteem, and postpartum anxieties and mood disorders.
My practice is strongly rooted in anti oppressive frameworks, centering clients as the experts of their own experiences. I believe there is nothing greater than continually learning, and I recognize the therapy room as a place where we can grow and learn together. I think of myself as an empathetic and grounded clinician who views her clients from a strengths based perspective. I like to bring compassion and humor into the therapy room as we work together to create desired change in your life.
I completed my undergraduate education in psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and then stayed there to receive a masters degree in higher education with a focus on diversity and inclusion. I worked in student affairs for a bit before deciding social work is where my heart lies, and received my Masters of Social Work, concentrating on mental health, from the University of Illinois Chicago. I am excited to continue my training in evidence informed practices at DASC and beyond.
Some of my interests outside of work include practicing yoga, reading for fun, and spending time outside with my sweet dog. I love (re)watching The Office, Parks and Rec, and Schitt's Creek, and finding ways to move my body that bring me joy (biking along the lake has been really fun this summer)
My name is Katie Lenahan (she/her) and I want to start by saying that if you've gotten this far and are perusing the bios of potential therapists, looking to start or resume the work of therapy, that you've already taken an amazingly difficult and important step. My personal philosophy of therapy is this: none of us are broken, or need ‘fixing.' We all have old ways of learning and coping that we developed along the way, through the twists and turns of life, that have helped us to survive our most difficult moments. However, there comes a time in which our life changes, or our environments change, or our relationships change; and our old ways of thinking or acting or learning or coping no longer serve us as they used to. Our work together is twofold: first, we seek to understand and build compassion for our past learning and past experiences, while then examining our ways of coping and flexibly altering or adapting them as needed to fit our personal values, current environments, and to move towards the life that we want for ourselves.
Job Titles:
- Director of DBT and Group Services
Hello, my name is Kimberly (she/her) and I am a licensed clinical social worker here at DASC! I am looking forward to working with you. I have been working in mental health since completing my education and have experience in a variety of settings including community and home-based mental health care, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice. I have worked with a broad range of ages and mental health diagnoses and I would be honored to be a part of your recovery process from concerns including anxiety disorders, impact of traumatic events, and depression and suicidal ideation.
Job Titles:
- Advanced Clinical Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow ( She / Her )
My name is Kyra Ehrlich (she/her/hers) and I am a member of the 2022-2023 Advanced CBT Fellowship at DASC. My therapeutic style includes encouragement, warmth, compassion, honesty, and humor. My clients have described me as someone who is trustworthy, supportive and self-aware. I have experience working with adolescents and adults who are dealing with anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, relationships challenges, and adjustment disorder.
In therapy, I aim to create a safe and non-judgmental environment for my clients to feel comfortable and validated when sharing their experiences, thoughts and behaviors. As you are the expert of your own life, I understand that therapy is not a one-size-fits- all approach; therefore, I meet clients where they are. Together, we will work to find what works best for you. I strive to work collaboratively with clients to help establish and engage in useful coping mechanisms that can help manage difficult emotions and enhance emotional well-being.
My entire life, I have lived about an hour's drive from the city, growing up in Chicago suburbs. I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Iowa, having majored in Psychology and minoring in Human Relations and Criminology. I recently graduated with a Master's degree from the University of Chicago's Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice.
Outside of work, I enjoy going on walks, reading books, spending time with friends and family, watching movies and hanging out with my dog, Linus.
Job Titles:
- Advanced CBT Fellow ( She / They )
- Advanced Clinical Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow
Job Titles:
- Advanced Clinical Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow ( They / Them )
Job Titles:
- Advanced Clinical Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow
- LSW, Advanced CBT Fellow ( She / Her )
Madeline (she/her/hers) earned her Masters degree in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago. While there, she also completed the Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor Training Program. Prior to her time at UChicago, she completed a BS in Neuroscience with a minor in French Studies at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Madeline completed field work as a member of the post-acute care social work team at eviCore Healthcare, and as a member of the Behavioral Wellness Team at Heartland Alliance Health. While at Heartland Alliance Health, she provided counseling services for individuals experiencing mental health challenges, and undergoing treatment for substance use disorders.
Madeline uses a variety of therapeutic modalities rooted in Fundamental Analytical Psychotherapy, strengths based counseling, motivational interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy theories. She believes strongly in the expertise of the client, and strives to center their goals and experiences in every session. Madeline is dedicated to lifelong work in engaging historically excluded communities, and increasing accessibility to equitable mental health care resources.
Outside of work, Madeline enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, enjoying the great outdoors, and exploring new ways to stay active!
Hi, my name is Nisha Patel. My experience prior to joining DASC was working as a School Social Worker in K-12 public school districts providing individual and group counseling to children and adolescents in the following areas:
Depression
Anxiety
Eating Disorders
Anger and Stress Management
Dating Violence/Abuse
Trauma and PTSD
Family Conflicts
ADHD
Behavioral Concerns
My therapeutic approach: Even though I am still developing my therapeutic approach as I continue my education, my experiences in education, work, and my personal life have allowed me to develop a rough draft of my therapeutic philosophy. I believe in partnership and collaboration in the therapeutic relationship. I am most interested in aiding you in recognizing the thought patterns, feelings, etc. that are keeping you stuck in this phase of your life. Bringing insight to these patterns can ultimately help you find a path toward self-fulfillment and empowerment. Overall, I bring an openness and empathy in our work together, as I think that empathy and sitting with a client in those moments of discomfort is key to a client's success. Part of that work can look like sitting quietly, deeply listening, or sometimes it looks like reflecting back thoughts and feelings and offering an alternative perspective. I am also interested in how macro problems affect us all on a micro level, and what we can do to cope with some of these social problems.
A little bit about my background: I received my undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in English Literature. After undergrad, I went on to work in educational settings. My work in the educational environment was doing engagement and advising work with teens and families in underserved school districts. My first year internship as a social work student at the University of Chicago has been doing crisis work with homeless teens and their families all across the country.
What I like to do for fun: Outside of school and work, you can usually find me on the couch rewatching Game of Thrones or reading a good book (I don't discriminate between fiction or nonfiction); traveling (I've lived in three different countries!); doing some sort of outside activity-walking, hiking, going to the beach, paddleboarding; or looking up some delicious recipes to make for dinner.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Social Worker at the Depression
- Clinical Therapist and Couples Therapist
Sarah Lepp is a licensed clinical social worker at the Depression and Anxiety Specialty Clinic of Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor and master of music degree in piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin. After teaching and performing for a decade, Ms. Lepp then went on to receive a master of science in Social Work degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Ms. Lepp has a diverse background working with individuals, couples, and families as a first responder, case manager, group facilitator, counselor, and mental health educator. She utilizes her extensive experience to work with clients experiencing anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, substance use, and relationship challenges. She also provides premarital counseling.
Ms. Lepp is passionate about working with clients to find creative solutions to challenges they face in their lives. She believes that every client is unique and should receive a therapy approach tailored specifically to them. In her clinical work, she draws from Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Exposure Response Prevention, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She uses Gottman Method Couples Therapy in her work with couples. She is also certified as a facilitator for Prepare and Enrich. Ms. Lepp is dedicated to staying up-to-date with the current research for the most effective therapy approaches to ensure that clients get the best possible care.
Hello and thank you for looking at my bio! My name is Sarah, I use she/her pronouns, and I am a staff therapist at DASC. I recently graduated from the University of Chicago's Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. When I am not working I enjoy going for walks, spending time with my family, cooking, and listening to audiobooks.
Job Titles:
- Admin / Billing Assistant