Welcome to BetterHelp. Life events can cause anyone to experience symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. How you respond to these symptoms makes all the difference in your overall health. Together we will work to identify your goals of managing these symptoms and develop steps to reduce their affect on your day to day life. Sometimes these life events are traumatic, which can cause much longer term effects on your health. Processing trauma, no matter how long ago it happened, is vital to moving forward past the traumatic event. A little bit about me personally. I am a Southern Illinois native. I attended SIU and completed my Bachelor’s of Social Work in December of 2012. After taking a semester off, I moved forward to obtain my Masters of Social Work which I completed in May of 2014. Since completing my education, I have worked as a therapist with adolescents with extreme trauma in a residential setting. I then worked with the public schools in Williamson County to provide therapy in the schools to students with a variety of disorders, including behavior disturbances. I have worked with children, adolescents, and adults in an outpatient setting for the past 3 years. I have found that therapy is my passion and I look forward to helping you discover how therapy can improve your quality of life.

This is Dr. Cassandra April, LCPC. Thank you for reaching out, confirming the information form, and scheduling a session. I notice that you are one of our new insurance clients and I feel it's only fair to let you know that insurance clients have to do an "intake assessment" during your first session, which in reality could take the entire session time to complete. One way I am proposing to try to get around that is to send you the assessment questions ahead of time and you can answer them before the session if you have time. If not, the first session would have to be devoted to answering those questions (sort of like when you go to a new medical doctor for the first time). Let me know which you prefer. I'll copy the questions below. I realize you may have had to answer some when you signed up for Better Help, but now therapists must also collect certain information that Better Help does not give us. This is required for insurance clients. See below for questions. There are 15 of them. 1) What city/town in Illinois do you live in? 2) What is your race/nationality? (If you are bi-racial/of mixed race, name both/all) 3) What country were you born in? What country/countries were you raised in? 4) What is your last name, date of birth, address, phone number 5) Emergency contact, their first and last name, phone number, and relationship to you 6) Employment status (working full-time, part-time, unemployed, etc) 7) Relationship status (i.e. married, single, divorced, etc.) 8) Educational level (GED, high school, trade school, some college, college graduate, etc.) 9) Legal history if any (have you ever been incarcerated? If so, why) 10) Medical history (do you have any major health conditions? Do you have to take medication on a regular basis? If so, for what conditions? The name of the clinic, hospital, or doctor that you receive medical care from. We will NOT be contacting these individuals) 11) Mental health history (have you ever been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, eating disorder, drugs or alcohol, etc. Did you have to be hospitalized? Do you have to take medication for? If so, what conditions? Family history? Have you been to counseling before?) 12) Have you ever attempted suicide or harmed yourself? If so, how long ago? How many times? Did you have to be hospitalized? 13) Do you feel you were abused as a child physically, sexually, verbally, or psychologically? 14) Are you addicted to drugs or alcohol? If drugs, which ones? Is there a family history of either drugs or alcohol? 15) How is your self-care? (are you sleeping well, eating healthy, exercising, etc.) ? Thank you, and I look forward to meeting with you, Dr. April

I began working with children and youth in 1986 and continued until 2003. As indicated on my resume, I returned to working with a client base providing therapy to the children, and adult population in 2013 at an outpatient mental health facility. Presently, I am employed in the prison system where I am working with the adult population, 19 years old to 70 years. As therapist, I use a caring and supportive style with my clients, believing that they are coming because they need assistance in being able to function and cope with various stressors impacting each lives. My treatment approach is one of understanding and not judgmental. I understand that the client's self-determination is most significant in the counseling relationship. I believe that the client is the most important person in the session and hence in order to help, I need to listen to rather than to tell each what to do.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with experience working as a psychotherapist with individuals, couples, and families. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and chronic illnesses. My counseling style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating anyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in stigmatizing labels. My integrative practice approaches of cognitive-behavioral, motivational Interviewing, psychodynamic and solution-focused. I will tailor our dialogue and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek for a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. If you are ready to take that step I am here to support and empower you. I look forward to working with you!

I have over 20 years of clinical experience helping individuals, couples, and families seeking help to resolve some of their problems with conflict, adjusting to life event stressors, recovering from trauma to become survivors and not victims. Furthermore, I like to help others with addictions of practically every kind to change their habits with replacement thoughts, behaviors, and actions that improve their sense of purpose in life and handling their emotions rather than avoiding them with their maladaptive behaviors. A majority of my training and experience has been on helping clients incorporate positive communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and improve upon their ability to stop negative thinking habits that tend to interfere with change.

I am licensed in Illinois with 28 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, & relationship issues. I also have experience working with depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in Illinois with 9 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, & trauma and abuse. I also have experience working with intimacy related issues. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

As a licensed therapist serving clients in Illinois, I specialize in supporting individuals through complex life transitions and emotional challenges. My practice centers on empowering women, particularly those navigating relationship dynamics, personal identity, and healing from past experiences. With expertise in addressing depression, trauma, self-esteem, and intimacy-related concerns, I offer a compassionate, culturally responsive approach. My work focuses on helping clients develop self-love, improve communication, explore life purpose, and work through difficult experiences like divorce, body image struggles, and interpersonal challenges. Drawing from a holistic perspective, I create a supportive environment that honors each person's unique journey. I'm committed to walking alongside my clients as they cultivate resilience, understanding, and personal growth. Whether you're seeking guidance through relationship issues, processing past trauma, or exploring your identity, I'm dedicated to providing thoughtful, affirming support.

I am licensed in Illinois with 20 years of counseling experience. I have experience helping clients with stress, anxiety, motivation, self esteem, building confidence, career difficulties, and coping with life changes. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where their thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgement. Taking the first step to creating a more fulfilling and balanced life takes courage. I am here to support you in your journey.

I am licensed in Illinois with 5 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in Illinois with 4 years of professional work experience, and nearly 6 years in the mental health field overall. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma, abuse, coping with life changes, & concentration, memory. I also have experience working with focus (adhd). Having worked in the foster care field, an autism clinic, and a private practice setting, I have plenty of experience with almost every type of negative emotion that one can think of. My work in the field has been primarily with adolescents/teenagers, and I find that they are an incredible population to work with. Old enough to understand basic therapy techniques, but young enough to mold themselves into anything that they want to be in life. My current work has a range of working with individuals ranging from age 20, to the age of 11. I am sympathetic to the stressors that teenagers and young adults are facing in our constantly changing world, and I look forward to my interactions with them every day. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

Hi, I’m Shelly! I’m a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a passion for helping clients build confidence, manage emotions, and reach their full potential. For over 20 years, I’ve supported individuals through challenges such as anxiety, depression, behavioral concerns, and life transitions—helping them find healthier ways to cope and connect. After earning my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University, I moved to Chicago and attended the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, where I earned my master’s degree in 1999 and my doctorate in 2004. From the beginning, my work has focused on understanding the emotional world of the clients that I work with and helping strengthen communication and resilience. I believe every one of us has the inner strength to grow and thrive. My approach is warm, collaborative, and rooted in compassion and evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I work closely with you to uncover what’s behind the emotional or behavioral struggles and to develop tools that foster understanding, balance, and confidence. My goal is to create a safe, supportive space where you feel heard and understood—and where you feel guided and empowered. Reaching out for therapy is a courageous step, and I’m honored to walk alongside you on this journey toward healing and growth.

Specializing in women's mental health needs, I support each client to identify and meet her specific needs in order to promote healing, self-growth, breaking negative life cycles, and the achievement of her goals. I have specific focus in the areas of trauma, anxiety, depression, relationships, life purpose, grief/loss, attachment, and family systems. Whether it's healing deep areas of trauma and loss or managing daily life stress, I walk alongside clients as they journey towards healing and making positive life changes. My clients often come to therapy feeling overwhelmed and stuck, but after working together, they often feel more hopeful, empowered, and purposeful. Together we can work to take steps to help you make positive changes. Reaching out for help can feel overwhelming and scary. Therapy helps us to know that were are not alone in our journey! We can take steps together as you move towards healing and purpose.

As a licensed therapist in Illinois, I bring 30 years of dedicated experience supporting individuals through complex life transitions and personal growth. My practice centers on creating a compassionate, culturally responsive space for clients navigating diverse challenges—including LGBTQ+ experiences, family dynamics, trauma recovery, and multicultural concerns. My approach honors each person's unique journey, with specialized expertise in communication, intimacy, sexuality, and men's mental health. I'm particularly committed to supporting young adults, midlife individuals, and those experiencing significant life transformations like divorce, immigration, or family restructuring. Drawing from a multicultural perspective and bilingual background, I offer a nuanced, empathetic therapeutic approach. My goal is to help clients explore their authentic selves, heal from past experiences, and develop meaningful strategies for personal growth and connection.