Hello! I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) based in Illinois. I have worked in the mental health field for seventeen years in both hospital and outpatient settings. This experience includes work in direct patient care, program development, and in hospital administration in a clinical director role. I also have taught coursework in psychology and human development in a university setting, and worked in an administrative capacity in secondary education in the state of Illinois. My educational background includes a Masters in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. My clinical approach brings behavioral intervention and education together in a clinical setting. I enjoy using psychoeducation as a foundation for treatment. That means I like to focus on educating the patient on their symptoms/diagnosis so we can collaborate on a treatment plan that they understand and makes sense for their life circumstance. If people understand why they experience the symptoms they have and how their body responds to stressors; it can give them the insight necessary to build skills to cope in a healthy and effective way.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

Your first session is a chance to give me a background to the issues you are facing. I will ask some standard questions that will paint a picture of circumstances surrounding you symptoms. We will also do brief introductions and discuss what you hope to get out of your treatment. This is the first step in establishing your objectives/goals for your follow-up appointments.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

The hallmark of an effective recovery plan is its accessibility to that specific patient. There are many evidence-based mental health strategies that have been validated and proven to be effective. That doesn’t mean each of these strategies will be equally effective for all people though. I believe that it is essential to meet the client where they are and work together to empirically test out different strategies of growth/recovery/coping until the client decides what work the best for them in their life circumstance. I like this process of tailoring treatment to the patient’s specific preference. I am an abstract thinker and really enjoy helping clients to view their problem from different angles to find the most efficient approach for them. I teach clients how to benchmark their own progress and recognize signs of growth so they can establish healthier patterns of thinking, emotion, and behavior. This all starts with the development of realistic treatment objectives, and I believe my experience in both school and clinical settings has allowed me to practice an effective intervention approach to this process.

About Nadjeh Awadallah