Mindful Behavior takes an innovative approach when it comes to the community it serves.
We know it can be difficult to find a counselor that takes your insurance but also even more difficult to find a counselor you can personally connect with.
Here at MB we do our best to contract various counselors around the Chicagoland area that can fit both of those needs. We also connect with other practices for a large range of referral sources. We work closely with the Chicago Police Department, DCFS, our Alderman and other State representatives to try to meet the community's needs.
Our Team
Elisa Lee, LCPC, NBCC
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Elisa has worked with many individuals, couples and families over 7 years addressing schemas and family functionality. She has trained under the supervision of various Psychologists and Psychiatrists which has helped her pay close attention to how the brain processes information and how to retrain the brain to make beneficial changes. She is CBT and DBT trained and has various certifications on trauma and mood disorders. She helps clients identify emotions and symptoms that affect their daily functioning. She enjoys structuring her sessions but is also very empathetic and person-centered. Elisa's goal is to help clients rewire the way they view relationships and commit to a healthy change. On her time off, Elisa enjoys time with her 9 children and grandbabies. She loves hiking, camping, and fishing but also a good football game and boxing. Elaine Habla Espanol.
Andrew Lee, M.A.
Chief Officer of Operations (COO)
I approach therapy with a mindset of exploration and action. So many of us endure life’s turbulence through poor reactions and judgments that come from a place of fear, pain, and worry. I see my role as a therapist to help accompany my clients on their journey through turbulence. Through the feelings of inadequacy, frustration, pride and bring about change with awareness. This awareness is key to change and initiates a call to action whereby the person can find serenity in their lives. This is not an easy journey, and it helps to have someone neutral on your side.
I have served various kinds of people including people suffering from anxiety, anger, depression, suicide, and psychosis. I am a LGBTQIA+ ally and have helped with many kinds of family and relationship issues. I have also worked with adolescents and adults from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
I practice from a humanistic philosophy and believe awareness and acceptance are the biggest steps towards change. Once the first step has been taken, then action must occur for change to really stick. I implement a Person-Centered Gestalt guideline with Behavioral and Solution Focus techniques to foster greater change towards goals. Therapy is not an easy road, but you reading this shows all the strength needed for better change. If you’re ready please call me, I’m here.
Jose Rebolledo, M.A.
Clinical Director
I have been a therapist for more than 10 years working with families and couples. I got much of my clinical experience with individuals working at inpatient hospitals. I have experience dealing with the most vulnerable populations that have the least support. I pride myself in ensuring that client’s basic needs are met first before working through the difficult path ahead. I utilize a gentle CBT approach but make sure that clients are the one in charge of the change for their life. I utilize ACT approach, integrate Gottman techniques to give couples the tools they need to rebuild a successful relationship and CBT techniques to help any population be aware of the choices they make and how it affects them. Estoy aqui para ayudarles en procesar dificultades de la vida. Tengo mas de 10 años en practica como consejero.
Martha Cruz, LCSW
Social Worker/Supervisor
I have over 15 years of experince in the field. I have worked for community centers helping the Latino community feel heard and understood when society invalidates their journey. Life has many challenges and I want to be able to assist my clients navigate through this. I utilize CBT and family systems approaches and ensure all aspects of our life are address as a collective. I supervise interns and staff and help mold them to be an efficient therapist. Hablo Espanol.
Desiree Resendez
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Desiree is responsible for financial planning and analyzing the company's financial strengths and weaknesses and proposing strategic directions. She directs and oversees the financial activities of the corporation, directs the preparation of current financial reports and summaries, and creates forecasts predicting future growth. Desiree is responsible for ensuring clients are fully aware of their financial responsibilities and update staff on any issues with insurances. Desiree loves to create music and spend time with her baby. She is loving and caring and enjoys nice long drives down LSD.
Alex Rodriguez
Office Manager
I have been in the medical field since 2010 and have my certification as a Medical Assistant. My strengths include a strong work ethic and attention to detail. As the office manager, I ensure everyone’s needs are met and verify that we function smoothly as a practice. I enjoy being friendly to both staff and clients by creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I enjoy spending time with my family and having a good time.
Judah Ramirez
Marketing/Community Outreach Executive
I have experience in maintaining the daily operations of the office. I assist, coordinate with clients and therapists and address any issues that may arise in the office. I work closely with Elaine in working with other clinics and hospitals to ensure we meet clinical expectations.
Jessica Ramirez
Biller
Jessica is our biller. She prides herself in ensuring all claims are submitted on time and helps clients navigate through the initial intake process so that there are no surprises when it comes to payments. She is an alumni of Trinity college and loves helping others. She is a mother of 4 and loves spending time with her husband and kids outdoors.
Yasmin Aguilar, APRN
Psychiatric Nurse Practicioner
I believe everyone deserves access to mental healthcare and I am passionate about providing quality care to all of my patients. I am a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I have over eleven years of nursing experience. I started my nursing career as a licensed practical nurse and worked my way up to an advanced practice nurse. I received my bachelor of science from Purdue University and Masters degree from the University of St Francis. I have worked in a variety of healthcare settings including inpatient psychiatry, long term care, ICU, telemetry, cardiac catheterization and radiology. My versatile nursing background allows me to care for individuals with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions. I have worked with several vulnerable populations throughout my nursing career including the homeless, LGBTQ+, minorities, and the elderly. I am passionate about providing evidence-based individualized care to my clients. I strive to provide a non-judgemental positive experience and communicate effectively with my clients. I address client’s needs by developing collaborative and comprehensive treatment plans that fit their needs. Yo hablo español y estoy aquí para servirle.
Shakea Houston, M.S.
Clinician
Shakea has been taking care of client’s needs for over 10 years. She has dedicated much of her career ensuring clients in nursing homes have all their mental health needs addressed with families. She conducts therapy for minors, young adults and families. She specializes in reunification therapy and utilizes CBT and mindfulness approaches to help clients stabilize and minimize their symptoms. Shakea is a fun down-to-earth clinician that includes all resources available to the client to ensure they are fully meeting their potential. She utilizes mind-body connections to help clients identify how their body’s reactions affect decision making and role functioning. Shakes enjoy spending time with her family and learning new approaches to the therapeutic process.
Urbano Anaclecto Dominguez
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Maecenas dignissim eget ante et mattis. Nulla facilisi. Nunc urna arcu, varius quis laoreet vel, pulvinar eget mi. Quisque tincidunt massa leo, ac euismod nibh vulputate quis. Cras tempus tempor ante, in mattis nunc cursus et. Phasellus finibus quis justo et tempor. Praesent nisi odio, ultricies vitae imperdiet nec, accumsan ac magna. Donec id nulla dapibus, euismod eros quis, sollicitudin purus.
Victoria De La Torre, LPC
Counselor
As a Southside native, I love working with the communities that have shaped me and given me so much. I am aware of how our decisions can affect our entire family system and therefore, using a culturally sensitive approach, we will work together to find solutions and set goals based on what is important to you. I am especially passionate about helping clients build their self-esteem and challenge those negative thoughts that can make our day-to-day seem so much more difficult.
Above all, I see my role as a therapist as one of a “fellow traveler” who meets you where you are, warmly and without judgment, and helps you work toward where you would like to be. You can count on me to be supportive, while also challenging you to examine your thinking patterns and explore if they are fostering your well-being. You can also expect some gentle CBT, narrative therapy, and mindfulness techniques in my approach. I enjoy working with teens and adults of all genders, but I specialize in helping women overcome emotional, relational, and societal barriers.
Estoy aquí para apoyarlo en sus metas basado en lo que es más importante para usted.
Clinton Snelling, B.A.
Intake Specialist
Clinton has been working in the mental health field for over 6 years. He specializes in creating a safe environment for clients in order to conduct clinical assessments and help clients identify conflicts in their life that they can address in treatment. Clinton Has experience working in inpatient units and with underserved youth.
Maria Villagomez, LSW
Counselor
Maria is one of our bilingual therapists. She received her Master of Social Work degree and has been in the field for 3 years. She helps clients address life issues and assists in minimizing symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and mood disorders. She works with individuals as young as 6 years old, as well as families, and ensures she establishes achievable goals to help each client succeed. She integrates CBT, DBT, solution-focused, mindfulness, and other techniques in treatment but ensures to always work together with the client to increase mood and contentment in life.
Maria habla Español, le ayuda a individuos y familias a establecer metas de salud mental para vivir una vida saludable. Ella ha trabajado con clientes por 3 años. Está disponible para trabajar con todo tipo de individuos sin importar su género o raza. Maria se asegura que en cada sesión sus clientes se sientan cómodos y seguros en un ambiente donde no serán juzgados.
Michelle Silva, M.A.
Counselor
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Maecenas dignissim eget ante et mattis. Nulla facilisi. Nunc urna arcu, varius quis laoreet vel, pulvinar eget mi. Quisque tincidunt massa leo, ac euismod nibh vulputate quis. Cras tempus tempor ante, in mattis nunc cursus et. Phasellus finibus quis justo et tempor. Praesent nisi odio, ultricies vitae imperdiet nec, accumsan ac magna. Donec id nulla dapibus, euismod eros quis, sollicitudin purus.
Aashwi Bhatt, M.Sc.
Counselor
Aashwi has extensive experience working in the mental health field, most notably with eating disorder recovery and grief therapy. She is also skilled in working with PTSD/C-PTSD, anxiety, depression, general stress, and other adjustment disorders. As a neurodivergent desi woman, she understands the unique struggle of finding a counselor who will understand you in your cultural context, and strives to fill that gap. She approaches her clients with respect, compassion, and humor, emphasizing the collaborative relationship in counseling. She utilizes an eclectic mix of interventions from Rogerian person-centered therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and Gestalt therapy. She believes strongly that counseling benefits everyone, and is passionate about making this tool accessible to all communities. Aashwi is fluent in Gujarati and Hindi, and can comfortably counsel in Urdu and Punjabi.
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મેંટલ હેલ્થ ની કઈ પણ તકલીફ મા હું તમને મદદ કરી શકીશ. દાખલા તરીકે વ્યગ્રતા (anxiety), ઉદાસીનતા (depression), શોક (grief), માનસિક આઘાત (mental trauma), અને સામાન્ય તણાવ (general stress). હું સ્પષ્ટ ગુજરાતી મા તમારી મદદ કરી શકીશ.
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मैं आपकी कोई भी मानसिक समस्या में आपकी सहायता कर सकती हुं। जैसे की घबराहट (anxiety), उदासी (depression), शोक (grief), सदमा (mental trauma), और सामान्य तनाव (general stress)। मैं शुद्ध हिंदी में आपकी सहायता कर सकती हुं।
Hafsa Ahsan, M.S.
Clinician
Hafsa has been in the social work field for over 12 years. She works with populations from 13 years of age to adulthood. She addresses symptoms of anxiety, depression, bipolar, and many interpersonal conflicts. She is informed in family stability and awareness and thrives to connect clients with the skills they need to succeed. She is fluent in Urdu/Hindi.
हफ्सा 12 वर्षों से अधिक समय से सामाजिक कार्य क्षेत्र में हैं। वह 13 वर्ष की आयु से लेकर वयस्क होने तक की आबादी के साथ काम करती है। वह चिंता, अवसाद, द्विध्रुवी और कई पारस्परिक संघर्षों के लक्षणों को संबोधित करती है। उसे पारिवारिक स्थिरता और जागरूकता की जानकारी है और वह ग्राहकों को सफल होने के लिए आवश्यक कौशल से जोड़ने का प्रयास करती है।
حفصہ 12 سال سے سماجی کام کے میدان میں ہیں۔ وہ 13 سال کی عمر سے بالغ ہونے تک آبادی کے ساتھ کام کرتی ہے۔ وہ بے چینی، ڈپریشن، دوئبرووی، اور بہت سے باہمی تنازعات کی علامات کو دور کرتی ہے۔ وہ خاندانی استحکام اور بیداری میں مطلع ہے اور کلائنٹس کو ان مہارتوں سے جوڑنے کے لیے پروان چڑھتی ہے جس کی انہیں کامیابی کے لیے ضرورت ہے۔
Wanda
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Maecenas dignissim eget ante et mattis. Nulla facilisi. Nunc urna arcu, varius quis laoreet vel, pulvinar eget mi. Quisque tincidunt massa leo, ac euismod nibh vulputate quis. Cras tempus tempor ante, in mattis nunc cursus et. Phasellus finibus quis justo et tempor. Praesent nisi odio, ultricies vitae imperdiet nec, accumsan ac magna. Donec id nulla dapibus, euismod eros quis, sollicitudin purus.
Erika
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras in neque vel ex iaculis pulvinar. Aliquam in elementum risus. Integer purus sem, tempus nec iaculis ac, sollicitudin vitae velit. Aliquam interdum nisi non mauris porttitor, quis maximus nisl laoreet. Duis volutpat ante nulla, eget facilisis nunc congue eu. In varius eros tellus, eu pellentesque purus volutpat quis.
Maecenas dignissim eget ante et mattis. Nulla facilisi. Nunc urna arcu, varius quis laoreet vel, pulvinar eget mi. Quisque tincidunt massa leo, ac euismod nibh vulputate quis. Cras tempus tempor ante, in mattis nunc cursus et. Phasellus finibus quis justo et tempor. Praesent nisi odio, ultricies vitae imperdiet nec, accumsan ac magna. Donec id nulla dapibus, euismod eros quis, sollicitudin purus.
Dennis Garrido, LPC
Counselor
Dennis holds a B.S in Psychology, B.A in Spanish in the Professions from Saint Xavier University, and a M.A in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from North Park University.
Dennis practices from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) lens, which focuses on challenging and reconstruction of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Dennis is very passionate about introducing, and advocating counseling services to the Latinx/Hispanic community in both English and Spanish. She has 2 years of experience working with children with autism through ABA services. Therefore, she is also passionate about counseling those in the spectrum, and developing a better sense of self.
Areas of interest: adolescents, adults, anxiety, depression, attachment disorders, autism, relationship issues, stress management, work life stress/transitions, life transitions.
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Dennis tiene una licenciatura en psicología, una licenciatura en español en las profesiones de la Universidad de Saint Xavier y una maestría en consejería clínica de salud mental de la Universidad de North Park.
Dennis práctica desde una perspectiva de Terapia Cognitiva Conductual (TCC), que se enfoca en desafiar y reconstruir pensamientos, emociones y comportamientos. A Dennis le apasiona presentar y defender los servicios de asesoramiento a la comunidad latina/hispana tanto en inglés como en español. Tiene 2 años de experiencia trabajando con niños con autismo a través de los servicios de ABA. Por lo tanto, también le apasiona asesorar a aquellos en el espectro y ayudarles a desarrollar un mejor sentido de sí mismo.
Áreas de interés: adolescentes, adultos, ansiedad, depresión, trastornos de apego, autismo, problemas de relación, manejo del estrés, estrés/transiciones de la vida laboral, transiciones de la vida.
Meera Raja
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Meera has over 30 years experience providing social services in a variety of settings. She's now earning her master's degree in Social Work with an emphasis on mental health. She believes in people's ability to find solutions to life's challenges and is passionate about walking alongside individuals as they discover satisfaction and pleasure in their lives.
Her own experiences as a child of Indian immigrants led to an ongoing interest in how people integrate their intersecting identities, including language, cultural expectations, gender roles, and community values.
Thursday Moss
Clinical Intern
I work as a client-centered and solution-focused therapist, with a particular focus on trauma-informed care and empowerment. My practice creates a supportive space where you can explore challenges and identify practical, value-based solutions. I believe that you are the expert in your own life, and each therapy session is a collaborative journey. You are in the driver’s seat, and together we flexibly focus on achieving our goals, addressing different challenges that may arise each week.
I am passionate about working with LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent populations, supporting individuals in navigating life transitions, managing stress and anxiety, boosting self-esteem, and cultivating healthy relationships. My approach also integrates a social justice perspective, understanding systemic oppression and the impact it can have on mental health. I believe that many problems stem from societal factors beyond our control, aiming to alleviate blame and guilt.
I am currently pursuing my Master's in Counseling at Northwestern. I am dedicated to creating a therapeutic environment that honors diversity, fosters empowerment, and promotes healing.
Alexis
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Maecenas dignissim eget ante et mattis. Nulla facilisi. Nunc urna arcu, varius quis laoreet vel, pulvinar eget mi. Quisque tincidunt massa leo, ac euismod nibh vulputate quis. Cras tempus tempor ante, in mattis nunc cursus et. Phasellus finibus quis justo et tempor. Praesent nisi odio, ultricies vitae imperdiet nec, accumsan ac magna. Donec id nulla dapibus, euismod eros quis, sollicitudin purus.
Ronald Ixcot
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I am dedicated to providing exceptional care and guiding individuals who want to better their mental health. Mental health is an essential aspect of our lives. Learning how to prioritize our mental health can help improve quality of life. I believe in providing a safe, non judgemental and accepting space for all individuals. I am compassionate, empathetic, and express unconditional positive regard. I am here to serve and help you learn coping mechanisms for life’s troubles.
I received my Bachelor of Arts at Dominican University in Psychology. I am currently working on my Masters of Mental Health at North Park University. It would be my privilege to work with you.
Hablo Español.
“ There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't” - John Green
Jhomarie
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Maecenas dignissim eget ante et mattis. Nulla facilisi. Nunc urna arcu, varius quis laoreet vel, pulvinar eget mi. Quisque tincidunt massa leo, ac euismod nibh vulputate quis. Cras tempus tempor ante, in mattis nunc cursus et. Phasellus finibus quis justo et tempor. Praesent nisi odio, ultricies vitae imperdiet nec, accumsan ac magna. Donec id nulla dapibus, euismod eros quis, sollicitudin purus.
Kailey Sims
Intern
I am a Clinical Mental Health Intern currently pursuing my Master's degree at Governors State University. While I often employ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, I firmly believe that each client is unique and their needs can vary from session to session. I am committed to being an active listener, providing a safe space for clients to express themselves openly. My approach is additionally person-centered, but I integrate various therapeutic tools tailored to each client's specific needs.
We can help.
Individual Services
Includes various approaches such as walking-talk therapy, on-site therapy, custom self-care plan, check-ins, and more.
Couples Therapy
We assign a counselor to the couples so they can learn how their behaviors affect one another and then create a plan.
Family Counseling
There are times that we need to address issues as a family because if someone in our family is affected, everyone feels the stressor.