Our Yorkville Therapists
PsyD, Director
Specialties
Education & Certification
Sara takes a passionate, strengths-based approach that focuses on a client’s goals and desired outcomes in treatment. Sara uses clients’ values, interests, and personality to adapt to the client’s needs and wants in therapy. She frequently uses a blend of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and an attachment-based lens incorporating Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to support clients through times of healing and growing.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Kimberly desires to journey alongside individuals, children, and families to feel heard and understood, and utilize their strengths to experience empowerment, positive changes, and connection. Using play therapy, Theraplay informed practice, and expressive activities Kimberly helps a person process experiences that can be overwhelming at times and provides parent support to find helpful and meaningful ways to approach difficulties and life. Kimberly also assists others in exploring their faith and the manner in which spirituality affects their daily life. By examining all areas of life, Kimberly strives to contribute to personal growth and increased satisfaction in relationships.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Jessica Novak is passionate about empowering children, adolescents, and adults as they navigate life’s trials, tribulations, and transitions. She is innovative, down-to-earth, and aims to create a safe, nurturing environment as she engages clients with empathy, humor, and a direct and non-judgmental approach. Jessica works alongside her clients, encouraging and helping them find hope on their individual journey to peace and restoration. She offers a non-denominational Christian counseling approach for individuals seeking this.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Tina’s approach to therapy is strength based, empowering, and interactive. Tina believes in the importance of meeting the individual where they are in life, and that successful change is possible. Tina assists her clients in gaining new skills, and connect with resources to support positive progress towards their goals. Tina is eclectic utilizing multiple approaches that often include cognitive-behavioral, narrative, systems, step work, client-centered, psychoeducation, solution, and motivational interviewing.
Specialties
Education & Certification
About
Mary Kay Clarke earned her masters degree in counseling from DePaul University in 1991 and is board certified in addiction treatment. Mary Kay brings a compelling foundation of experience to her practice and her motivating approach to therapy is fueled by enthusiasm, empathy, and a sincere compassion for her clients. Whether you are seeking freedom from stress, personal healing, or need a change in perspective, Mary Kay’s approach brings to light your unique life situation. Ready to challenge you, Mary Kay wants to help you build upon your strengths and fine-tune the areas of your life that need a better response.
Mary Kay’s goal for each client is not only based on encouragement and tailoring an action plan, it is based on a genuine respect for your life. With a mindset of looking at life as an ever evolving process, Mary Kay believes that small changes will bring big results in the vitality of your life. Your goal should not be perfection, rather exploring ways to make positive and assertive choices to reach your own personal contentment.
Mary Kay has experience working with a variety of chemical dependency, mental health, dual diagnosis, marital/family, military, educational, and court ordered programs. Mary Kay has worked in the judicial system, private practice and several hospital systems on every level of care. She was also a consultant for the military specializing in trauma, deployment, and re-integration.
Mary Kay has been a member of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association since 1991 and is certified in critical incident stress management.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Life can be tough, confusing, even painful. At times, all of us need someone to help share the burden, a safe place to let down and figure it out. I have dedicated my life and training to helping others do that through church ministry, 12 Step groups, teaching and now, professional counseling. Among my particular passions are helping couples find their way back to strong, safe, loving connection and adults heal and grow. If I can help, I would consider it a privilege to be invited to walk a stretch of your journey with you.
Specialties
Education & Certification
A practicing Marriage & Family Therapist since 1978, Jim employs a systemic orientation to help his clients understand how the issues they bring to therapy impact, and are impacted by, their relationships. In all cases, whether working with individuals, couples or families, he is solution-oriented and pragmatic, engaging with his clients in creating, testing and implementing plans for change that draw upon their strengths and are attuned to their unique needs.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Katie has worked with adolescents and adults in a variety of mental health settings over the past 15 years. Her passion lies in helping others become more self-aware and grow in areas of their life where they feel stuck or frustrated Katie uses a down to earth approach to therapy; relying on humor, stories and a genuine curiosity about others to create a comfortable environment for her clients to be supported and challenged. Katie uses a variety of tools including ACT, DBT and the Enneagram Personality Typing System.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Specialties
Education & Certification
John believes that a customized plan must be invented for every client; but listening and understanding are always the first steps. He believes that the best outcomes are found when combining modern psychological research with a personalized approach for each individual. John entered the psychology field to combine his passions for listening and helping others. He aims to make these passions evident in every session.
Specialties
Education & Certification
It takes courage to begin therapy. And hope, even when you feel the most hopeless. Trude invites you into private conversations on how to cope with the roadblocks that hinders joy and participation in life, in relationships and with ourselves. She’ll collaborate with the part of each person that desires change and wants new directions. If you and your partner struggle to connect, Trude offers you both a safe place to practice new steps to take.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Nicole is passionate about assisting individuals and families through difficult times, emotional crisis, or painful life transitions. She strives to provide each client/family with a warm, secure, and nurturing environment to promote healing in their lives. Using an integrative approach, Nicole provides clients/families with the necessary tools and strategies to facilitate change in their life in a compassionate, non-judgmental, and collaborative way.
Specialties
Education & Certification
All of us, from time to time, experience issues in our lives that can feel overwhelming. Steve’s primary goal, as a therapist, is to assist clients to address their unique issues. By establishing a safe, and welcoming therapeutic environment, clients will feel confident enough to face their unique challenges. No one treatment modality is suited for every client, or situation. Steve will work with clients to find what best suits their particular situation. Steve always works from a strength-based perspective, in order to establish a solid foundation for the client to work from personally.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Psychotherapy is a personal experience that combines both art and science. Through the process of exploration, Tim works diligently to understand the experiences in life that contribute to a person’s current desire to enter therapy. Whether addressing difficulties that occurred long ago or a painful event that happened recently, Tim is highly interested in assisting others to develop a path in life that is more satisfying for them. In addition to administrative and supervision responsibilities at Centennial, Dr. Buhrt is an adjunct professor at Wheaton College Graduate School in the Marriage & Family Therapy program.
Specialties
Education & Certification
It is my hope that therapy will be a place that my clients experience true healing and growth, regardless of the journey they find themselves on. I believe that sharing with clients in both of lifes joys and suffering is one of the greatest privileges and an honor I do not take lightly. I believe that as people, we are relational by nature, and thus I like to approach therapy from a systemic perspective that takes into account an individual’s context in order to tell the whole story of who they are. I am interested in walking alongside men and women who are experiencing the weight of anxiety and depression and are looking for someone who will understand the hidden part of the heaviness they carry. I also have compassion for understanding adolescents who are struggling to navigate all of the unique changes and struggles that are often present during these pivotal and formational years. Finally, I love working with families and couples, working collectively to assist them in restoring predictability and order in their lives and relationships.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Eileen Sullivan is a client centered therapist whose aim is to create a safe, trusting supportive environment where clients can bring their pain and feel less alone in this process. She explores healing through strength based / solution focused approach that will help clients navigate their life by achieving their goals and potential. Eileen’s focuses on building a compassionate and safe environment where clients can develop a collaborative relationship. She uses a an eclectic approach that integrates a variety of evidence-based techniques, including Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Specialties
Education & Certification
Annie is passionate about helping individuals, couples, and families, through life’s struggles and transitions. She works with clients to provide new tools for communicating more effectively and improving relationships, to support, challenge, and encourage individual growth, and to help individuals work on healing past hurts. Her direct approach challenges clients to view their situation through a new lens that allows for new possibilities. Anne also coordinates the masters level practicum program at Centennial.
Specialties
Education & Certification
David founded Centennial Counseling Center in 1985. He retired from ownership in 2019 and still sees his long-term clients at Centennial. After 20 years of teaching, David also retired from his responsibilities as Guest Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Wheaton College Graduate School. Professionally now, David spends his time consulting with other mental health practice owners, doing occasional professional workshops and writing.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Jolene is passionate about helping individuals, couples and families foster meaningful change in their lives and in their relationships. She works by creating a safe space in which clients are invited to enter into difficult emotions and experiences, and believes that meaning and hope may be encountered as people open up and explore these genuine spaces with others. In her work with couples and families, she hopes to cooperatively unearth old way of relating and to find fresh ways family members can experience one another.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Patrick works with individual adults, couples & older adults. He utilizes an eclectic approach that is specifically tailored to fit each client’s needs. Patrick’s forte is brief, solution-focused treatment. He also serves clients who access their company-sponsored Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).
Specialties
Education & Certification
Elizabeth is passionate about creating a safe and supportive relationship with her clients where they are welcome to discuss difficult or painful experiences in their lives. She enjoys working with individuals who are struggling with grief, difficult relationships and various life transitions and has a background in working with individuals who desire to incorporate their Christian faith into counseling.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Amy feels honored to be part of helping people heal and grow over the past two decades and values the therapeutic relationship. Relationships shape us, challenge us, and fulfill us. Amy’s background and training in family systems provide a framework for working with individuals, couples and families. Amy believes in the power of positive psychology, changing narratives, utilizing strengths, focusing on solutions, and aligning our actions with our values as tools to gain a better of ourselves and our relationships, to leverage change, and to promote healing and personal growth.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Laurie is passionate about creating a therapeutic relationship based on genuineness, empathy, and unconditional positive regard while utilizing traditional, alternative, and holistic therapeutic approaches to healing.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Tina’s approach to therapy is strength based, empowering, and interactive. Tina believes in the importance of meeting the individual where they are in life, and that successful change is possible. Tina assists her clients in gaining new skills, and connect with resources to support positive progress towards their goals. Tina is eclectic utilizing multiple approaches that often include cognitive-behavioral, narrative, systems, step work, client-centered, psychoeducation, solution, and motivational interviewing.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Bernadette understands that in order to help facilitate growth in an individual, couple or family they need to be in a safe place. Each person’s goal is distinct and important. She works with each client where they are at and helps them identify coping mechanisms and other skills that will allow them to have a healthier future.
Specialties
Specialties
Education & Certification
Daniel believes in looking at life through the lens of relationships. He strives to provide a place to look at how relationships affect our world views and inform our decisions. His goal is to support and empower clients and offer relational tools to approach problems proactively.
Specialties
Education & Certification
In her practice, Jennifer McKay approaches each client as unique and seeks to understand their goals for therapy. She works with individuals, families and couples throughout the lifespan to address their concerns, difficulties and the transitions that come with life. She seeks to help clients address the emotional distress of past & present hurts, develop tools to successfully navigate their current contexts & experience new avenues toward wholeness. Jennifer also directs our PsyD practicum program, which helps to train the next generation of psychologists to provide quality compassionate care for clients.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Sarah is a warm, empathic therapist who focuses on attuning to clients’ emotional needs. She is passionate about going into clients’ deep emotional pain as a pathway for them to find healing and freedom from shame. Sarah believes it is identity and belonging within relationships that leads to transformation. Sarah works with children, individuals, couples, and families.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Specialties
Education & Certification
Colin is passionate about helping couples, families, and individuals communicate more effectively, experience different ways of relating to one another and see new perspectives. Colin is interested in making changes that not only impact the individual, but also impact those they find themselves in relationship with.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Ariel is passionate about creating a safe space for clients to gain self awareness as they begin to find and understand their true selves. She cares about helping her clients find their voice and explore the brokenness and difficulties they might be experiencing by way of life transitions, grief or distress in relationships.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Ingo enjoys assisting individuals in developing a greater understanding of themselves in order to engage in a life that is congruent, powerful, and meaningful. He considers it a privilege to walk alongside clients struggling with life transitions, especially teenagers and adult males, while helping them to find their voice and to establish healthy boundaries. Ingo welcomes the opportunity to engage with couples in therapy by encouraging them to cultivate an awareness of each other and their relationship. With an extensive background in various group therapies, Ingo believes that the dynamic of here and now interactions enables clients to set in motion positive changes in the moment while inspiring each other to grow. Prior to joining Centennial Counseling, Ingo was involved in technical sales and project consulting.
Specialties
Education & Certification
My approach to therapy is informed by my diverse educational, cultural and spiritual background along with curiosity that helps me to stay immersed in the stories of people I work with. I want my clients to experience me as being genuinely interested in them and passionate about all the ways they can build up motivation, skills, and resources for change, recovery, healing, and growth.
Specialties
Education & Certification
When life is complicated and chaotic, Sarah enjoys entering into the eye of the storm with individuals and providing a safe place where they can reconnect with their inner wisdom and bravery. Sarah integrates the research of psychology and trauma with the messy nature of human life to create a unique, holistic, soulful therapy endeavor for each child, adolescent, and adult with whom she works. When children are struggling, Sarah provides both the child and their parents with skills and support while they navigate toward growth and healing. Sarah has a gentle and honest approach and is committed to walking alongside her clients through the pain, frustration, or anxiety into a fuller, more meaning-filled life.
Specialties
Education & Certification
The exploration of experience, conflict, and relationship in finding meaning, hope, and growth are key in the practice of therapy for Kyle. He works to create a safe space for adolescents, young adults, families, and individual adults as they work to grow and overcome obstacles, changes, and loss in the development of their own unique narrative.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Specialties
Education & Certification
Hollyn believes therapy is a collaborative process. She aims to to walk alongside clients to help figure out what is and is not effective for them in order to help clients get unstuck and moving toward their values again. She uses a relational approach to work with clients and believes that the relationship built with clients is central to helping create change. Hollyn also frequently uses Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), both of which are empirically validated treatment modalities for a wide range of psychological problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, self-injury, and eating disorders.
Specialties
Education & Certification
Jake believes that therapy should provide a space for individuals, couples, and families to encounter one another and themselves in new and different ways. To this end, he desires to help his clients to take risks to acknowledge their pains, confront their limitations, and grieve their losses. Ultimately, Jake hopes that through their therapeutic experiences clients find the freedom to be more fully themselves and to feel closer and more connected with the ones they love.