Psychotherapy Clinic

Compassionate social workers at Rush offer group and individual psychotherapy for adults in English and Spanish.

Compassionate social workers at Rush offer group and individual psychotherapy for adults in English and Spanish.

Update on Receiving Referrals

Due to very high demand for psychotherapy services and increased wait times, the Social Work & Community Health (SWaCH) Psychotherapy Clinic is not receiving new psychotherapy referrals at this time. The decision comes as we strive to ensure that our patients receive the support and care they need, when they need it most. If you are in need of support with mental health needs, please contact our helpline at (800) 757-0202. We will update this webpage when we are able to resume receiving referrals.

The Social Work and Community Health Psychotherapy Clinic provides evidence-based psychotherapy services to patients and community members with complex social and medical needs. Staffed by licensed clinical social workers, we are trauma-informed, strengths-based, collaborative, and patient-centered.

Services are available in both English and Spanish for adults across the lifespan. We have long-standing experience working with individuals of diverse ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds and strive to provide accessible mental health treatment to all. We accept all the same medical insurances as the larger RUSH institution and are proud to provide a large portion of our services to Medicaid recipients.

All our psychotherapists provide trauma-informed treatment and use an array of evidence-based treatment approaches, including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), in addition to relational and mindfulness-based approaches. Providing outpatient psychotherapy in a medical setting enables us to collaborate with other providers while advocating and empowering our patients around their full plan of care. This collaboration also includes formal partnerships with RUSH’s Epilepsy, Infectious Disease, and Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) departments.

Psychotherapy Team Values

Social work lens

All of our psychotherapists are licensed social workers (LSWs and LCSWs) and practice from a place of social work ethics and values (service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence). We seek to understand and empower individuals, families, and communities toward a more just world. Furthermore, we have strong partnerships with care managers across the institution and can help address psychosocial determinants of health and further advocate for connection or resources.

Trauma-informed

We seek to integrate Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA) approach to trauma-informed care by realizing the widespread and pervasive impact of trauma and potential paths to recovery, recognizing signs and symptoms of trauma, integrating knowledge of trauma into our policies and practices, and seeking to resist re-traumatization.

Strengths-based

The strengths of our patients, families and communities are at the center of the healing process. We work collaboratively with our patients to identify and mobilize strengths and examine the function of behaviors that have supported coping.

Collaborative

We provide mental health services within the context of a large academic medical center. Often our patients seek treatment from multiple clinics and departments. To the extent that it is beneficial and empowering to our patients, we advocate for our patients and collaborate with other providers to make sure that the process of seeking care is as clear and empowering as possible.

Patient-centered

We build therapeutic relationships grounded in trust, mutuality and respect. We collaboratively identify therapeutic goals that are meaningful for our patients and develop a plan to best achieve those goals.

Competence

Our therapists provide trauma-informed care and offer therapy from different theoretical approaches, including evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), interpersonal therapy (IPT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Systems-focused

We use a person-in-environment approach, meaning that we cannot understand individuals apart from the other systems and structures they are connected to. We understand that mental health is deeply connected to familial, community and societal systems, structures and resources. We also recognize that many problems are a result of stigma, discrimination or systemic oppression, which when not identified can become internalized, shaming or dissociated. We work to maintain a systems perspective while increasing a sense of connection and resiliency. We also strive to provide culturally affirming and sensitive services to all patients seeking care.

Make a Psychotherapy Appointment

Appointment referrals are currently paused. Please see the top of the page for more details.

Meet our Psychotherapy Team

Psychotherapists

Yesenia Arreola

Yesenia Arreola, MSW, LCSW, PMH-C
(Other languages: Spanish) 

Yesenia (she/her) is an outpatient psychotherapist with the Department of Social Work and Community Health, partnered with RUSH’S OB-GYN practices. Yesenia obtained her master’s in social work from the University of Chicago at Illinois. Yesenia completed a perinatal mental health certification (PMH-C). Yesenia has experience providing mental health services to adolescents, adults, and children (birth to five), and their caregivers in the areas of trauma, exposure to violence, attachment, child welfare experiences, acculturation and immigration related experiences, grief and loss, adjustment to life transitions, and perinatal experiences. Yesenia works to build safety and trust in the therapeutic relationship. With a strengths-based, client-centered, and relational approach, Yesenia works to create a safe, nonjudgmental, and supportive space for individuals to begin to explore the themes that bring them to therapy and gain insight and skills, while also empowering individuals throughout their journey. Yesenia individualizes her therapeutic approach, utilizing evidence-based and trauma-responsive practices including psychodynamic framework, cognitive behavioral approaches, attachment-based theory, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. Yesenia is a bilingual and bicultural provider in Spanish.


Michelle Bautista

Michelle Bautista, MA, LCSW
(Other languages: Spanish) 

Michelle (she/her) received her undergraduate degrees in psychology and Spanish from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. She worked for five years in the nonprofit sector providing counseling services to children and parents involved with the child welfare system and juvenile court. She also has extensive experience working with adults and children in acute hospital inpatient and outpatient settings regarding issues of medical complexity and trauma. Michelle is trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and relies on cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic orientations, in addition to dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness when necessary and applicable. Michelle is a bilingual and bicultural provider in Spanish.


Chantanique Burdine

Chantanique Burdine, MSW, LCSW

Chantanique (she/her) received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign and holds a master's in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Chantanique also holds a certificate in Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Children and completed clinical training with the Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program here at RUSH. Chantanique has experience working with adults experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, and various life transitions. She also has experience working with children and adolescents, as well as working with their caregivers to help them deepen their understanding and learn additional tools to support their loved one. She has a background in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Trauma-Focused CBT and takes a strengths-based approach when working with individuals.


K. Tajhi Claybren

K. Tajhi Claybren, AM, LCSW, LMSW

K.Tajhi (she/her, he/him, they/them; please use them all and switch them up) is a licensed clinical social worker housed in the Department of Social Work and Community Health that works in partnership with the Infectious Disease Clinic. She integrates evidence-based strategies with frameworks including harm reduction, anti-oppression, and trauma-informed practices to provide psychotherapy services. Along with supporting people living with and/or vulnerable to HIV, he has extensive experience working with individuals with diverse identities, experiences, and cultural/ethnic backgrounds. When working with clients, K.Tajhi co-creates an empathic and trusting environment for clients to explore their thinking, mood, and behaviors and gain greater insight while establishing agency and resilience to achieve identified goals, increase emotional stability, and improve mental health and overall wellness. They prioritize being empathic, curious, nonjudgmental, strengths-based, and systems-focused. K. Tajhi has a Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies (with a minor in Sexuality Studies) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a master’s in social service administration (emphasis in Clinical Social Work) from the University of Chicago.


Brian Eads

Brian “Tucker” Eads, MA, LCSW

Tucker (he/him) provides outpatient psychotherapy to adolescents and adults facing a variety of challenges, including depression, anxiety, medical illness, caregiver stress and life transitions. His work with individuals draws on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mindfulness practice. Tucker received a master’s in clinical social work from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. He has previously completed a post-graduate fellowship in contextual behavior therapy at the Emotion Management Program that he continues to incorporate into patient treatment.


Lindsey Martin

Lindsey Martin, MSW, LCSW

Lindsey (she/her) is a licensed outpatient psychotherapist with the Social Work and Community Health team at RUSH. For the past 8 years, she worked in non-profit healthcare, providing individual therapy and integrated behavioral health services to patients in community health clinics in both Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. Lindsey works from a variety of therapeutic frameworks and is specifically rooted in a strengths-based perspective, in which an individual’s strengths are identified and embraced to facilitate healing and growth. Lindsey is passionate about working with adults and young people who are experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use. She has also worked extensively with individuals living with and/or vulnerable to HIV. Lindsey is a graduate of The Ohio State University School of Social Work.


Lisett Tito

Lisett Tito, MSW, LCSW
(Other languages: Spanish) 

Lisett (she/her) received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has experience working with adults and teenagers experiencing depression, anxiety, family conflict, grief, trauma, and various life transitions. Lisett strives to provide a safe and welcoming space to work with individuals to process, heal, and grow. She uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and a strengths-based perspective in her practice. Lisett is a bilingual and bicultural provider in Spanish.


Zinal Agnihotri, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Manager

Zinal Agnihotri, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Manager

Zinal (she/her) is a Clinical Manager on the Integrated Mental Health and Wellness team with the Department of Social Work and Community Health. She is the lead psychotherapist on the non-epileptic seizure treatment (NEST) team, where she provides mindfulness-based psychotherapy to patients who suffer from non-epileptic seizure episodes and generally with patients who suffer from mood and anxiety disorders. Zinal has training in evidence-based therapy modalities and is most grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) when working with her patients. She received her master’s in social work from California State University-Bakersfield, where she specialized in gerontology and medical social work. She also completed a post-graduate fellowship at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration in contextual behavioral therapy.


Ethan Powe

Ethan Powe, MSW, LCSW

Ethan (he/him) attended Loyola University Chicago’s Graduate School of Social Work, specializing in mental health and clinical social work with older adults. His areas of experience and specialty include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), brief treatment, grief, and treating patients who are managing multiple chronic conditions.


Relyea Bethany

Bethany Relyea, MA, LCSW

Bethany (she/her) received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. Bethany believes in the profound value of listening and aims to develop a non-judgmental environment that offers the safety and trust to explore challenges. Bethany often works with adult individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship difficulties. She grounds her work in relational and psychodynamic approaches, as well as cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies.


Maggie Skoller

Maggie Skoller, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Manager

Maggie (she/her) is a Clinical Manager on the Integrated Mental Health and Wellness team with the Department of Social Work and Community Health. She received a master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and has experience offering psychotherapy services to adolescents and adults. Maggie strives to provide an open, non-judgmental space to collaborate with individuals in tackling life’s many challenges. Rooted in a strengths-based perspective, Maggie is experienced with depression, anxiety, grief, chronic illness, aging, end-of-life issues, as well as complex family dynamics, caregiver stress and adjustment to life transitions. Along with her primary work supporting the outpatient clinic, Maggie also oversees the daily operations and psychotherapy being provided to RUSH employees and students through RUSH’s Center for Clinical Wellness.


Haley Swanson

Haley Swanson, MSW, LCSW, CADC

Haley (she/her) received her Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her master’s in social welfare from the University of California at Los Angeles. For over 10 years, Haley has worked in outpatient community mental health and health care settings providing individual therapy and integrated behavioral health services to adults. Haley is certified as an alcohol and drug counselor (CADC) and has extensive experience working with individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Additionally, Haley is trained in the relational treatment of trauma as well as perinatal mood disorders. Using a psychodynamic framework, Haley incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and motivational interviewing into her practice.


Anne West

Anne West, MA, LCSW

Anne (she/her) offers outpatient psychotherapy services to adolescents and adults with a range of presentations including mood disorders, childhood and present trauma, loss, and life-transitions. Anne holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, and she completed a post-graduate fellowship at Womencare Counseling Center, specializing in the relational treatment of trauma. She integrates psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, and mindfulness practices in her work with patients, while grounded in a relational framework.


Jahee Hong Yi, AM, LSW

Jahee Hong Yi, AM, LSW

Jahee (she/her) provides outpatient psychotherapy to adolescents and adults navigating issues related to anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, parenthood, caregiving, neurodiversity, and life transitions. Jahee holds a master’s from the University of Chicago School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She has worked for eight years in community integration, providing counseling and skills-building to adolescents and adults with disabilities. She also provided social care to children and adults while living in India, expanding her curiosity and cultural attunement. Her master’s clinical training was completed in outpatient health care settings, providing psychotherapy to individuals across lifespan. Grounded in relational and anti-oppressive frameworks, Jahee integrates neuroscience and contextual behavioral approaches, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP), and mindfulness-based practices. Jahee is a bicultural provider in Korean.

Legacy Mental Health Fellowship

Founded in 2022, the Legacy Mental Health Fellowship supports emerging minority social work clinicians who have a passion for reducing health disparities and improving mental health access for Black and Latinx residents on the West Side of Chicago. Our fellows provide trauma-informed, culturally attuned, and community-minded psychotherapy services at RUSH and partner with community-based agencies in Garfield Park to improve access to needed services and assure that residents feel affirmed when requesting mental health care at Rush or partnered community-based organizations.

The Legacy Mental Health Fellowship is a collaboration between the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative, RUSH’s Department of Social Work and Community Health (SWaCH), and Chicago State University’s MSW Program. It is generously funded by Rachel Kohler and Mark Hoplamazian, the ITW Foundation, and the Hemmelstein Endowment for Health Equity.

Our Fellows

Kenisha Green, MSW, LSW

Kenisha Green, MSW, LSW

Kenisha (she/her) holds a master’s degree in social work from Chicago State University and brings a wealth of experience to her current role. With a strong background in the nonprofit sector, she has worked extensively with adults and adolescents in diverse settings, including child welfare, re-entry programs, and substance abuse. Kenisha is dedicated to creating a safe and non-judgmental therapeutic space for individuals to heal and grow. Specializing in trauma-informed care, she actively partners with patients to overcome the negative effects of trauma in their daily lives. In her typical day, Kenisha offers therapeutic services in a variety of formats, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive and personalized care. Beyond direct patients interactions, she engages in community outreach and education, advocating for mental health awareness and destigmatization.


Jada Johnson, MSW, LSW

Jada Johnson, MSW, LSW

Jada (she/her) received her Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Health studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with a minor in Community Action and Social Change, followed by Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University-Chicago, specializing in mental health and clinical social work with groups such as couples, families, and psychoeducational groups. She has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families experiencing anxiety, depression, various life transitions, relationship conflicts and trauma. Jada strives to address the mental health and well-being of disadvantaged youth and families in Chicago and to help people understand a deeper reality of their experiences and evaluate solutions to their problems. As part of her fellowship, Jada also provides support to community members who have been impacted by gun violence through our partnership with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.


Innocent Chijioke Orokoh, MSW, LSW

Innocent Chijioke Orokoh, MSW, LSW

Innocent (he/him) received his undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Lagos in Lagos, Nigeria. He specialized in child development, disabilities, and challenges throughout childhood developmental stages. He earned his master’s degree in social work from Chicago State University. Prior to that, he worked for four years in the nonprofit sector providing counseling services and care to individuals with physical, cognitive and behavioral concerns. He has experience providing counseling services for people dealing with alcohol and drug addiction, in addition to experience working with children in school settings and youth dealing with extended trauma. He has a background in Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), mindfulness strategies, and strength-based therapy. As part of his fellowship, Innocent also provides support to emerging adult men of color in their faith-based residential institute through our partnership with the MAAFA Redemption Project.


Maleek Ratliff, MSW, LSW

Maleek Ratliff, MSW, LSW

Maleek (he/him) received his undergraduate degree in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University and his graduate degree in Social Work with a specialization in Mental Health from the University of Illinois Chicago. He has years of experience working with older adults as a mental health counselor, as well as experience working with the homeless population. While working in the hospital setting as a counselor, he ran therapeutic groups, provided individual check-ins, and helped patients through the life challenges they faced. Maleek is passionate about addressing mental health and the overall well-being of those who have faced various forms of trauma.

Support Staff

The navigation core team helps our psychotherapy workflows run smoothly and connects patients to appropriate services. They are the first point of contact for patients and referring partners and support patients in understanding expectations and insurance inquires. The navigation core team is dedicated to the well-being of our patients and strives to improve access to these needed services through their work.

Perpetual Assem, Psychotherapy Program Coordinator

Perpetual Assem, Psychotherapy Program Coordinator

Perpetual (she/her) is a results-driven administrator with a background in physical medicine and non-profit sectors. Her diverse experience spans various fields, showcasing her adaptability and commitment to making a positive impact. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa, majoring in Health and Human Physiology, with a minor in Psychology and Human Relations. Currently, Perpetual excels in supporting the supervision and management of the patient care navigation staff. In her role, Perpetual focuses on coordinating psychotherapy programs, where she excels in liaising with various providers, managing referral workflow process, and ensuring excellent quality of patient care. Her dedication to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment underscores her valuable contributions to the enhancement of the psychotherapy clinic.


Anabelen Diaz

Anabelen Diaz, MPH, MSW, LSW, Care Manager
(Other languages: Spanish)

Anabelen (she/her) provides case management services for patients explore resources to address a variety of social determinants of health resources . She obtained a Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Her educational focus was on health policy and administration and mental health in the older adult track. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from UIC. Anabelen is a bilingual and bicultural provider in Spanish.


Tia Griffin

Tia Griffin, Psychotherapy Care Navigator

Tia (she/her) obtained her undergraduate degree in Health Communications from the University of North Carolina. She has always had a deep passion for behavioral health and a desire to better understand human behavior to best serve others, especially those at their most vulnerable. Tia has worked in a variety of settings across the healthcare field and understands the difference one interaction can make in a person’s day. She looks forward to being the first point of contact during the psychotherapy intake process. Tia is excited to continue her professional journey with the psychotherapy team to see others be their most powerful, resourceful, whole, and complete selves.


Shawn Parra

Shawn Parra, MA, MSW, LSW, Intake psychotherapist
(Other languages: Spanish)

Shawn (they/he/él) is the Intake Psychotherapist for the Department of Social Work and Community Health. Shawn has completed their BA & MA in Psychology and their MSW from Boston University. In their MSW program, they majored in clinical social work, minored in macro social work, and specialized in trauma & violence studies. Shawn is currently at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) completing a PhD in Social Work and their dissertation is called "The Emotional Wellbeing of BIPOC LGBTQ+ Youth: A Grounded Theory Study". Shawn has mainly worked in community health and healthcare settings. Clinically, they have experience as an in-home therapist, school-based counselor, and outpatient therapist. Shawn has worked with all ages, but their focus has been more with youth and families. As Shawn speaks Spanish, a lot of their training has been in generalist practice to be able to meet the needs of our underserved Spanish-speaking population. However, their career has primarily been focused on intersectionality, Black & Brown and queer & trans rights and mental health, and family relationships. Shawn is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and pulls from other modalities which demonstrates their eclectic approach. Thus, Shawn’s goal in treatment with patients is to be collaborative, person-centered, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive.


Evelyn Perez

Evelyn Perez, Psychotherapy Care Navigator
(Other languages: Spanish)

Evelyn Perez (she/her) is a skilled professional with a background in psychology, having earned her undergraduate degree from Saint Xavier University-Chicago. Her career journey includes valuable experience at a substance abuse center, where she honed her expertise in addiction and infectious diseases. In her current capacity, she excels at guiding and supporting patients through the complexities of mental health services. Her responsibilities include coordinating appointments, securing insurance verification and ensuring seamless communication between patients and the psychotherapy team. Evelyn's compassionate approach and diverse background make her an invaluable asset in facilitating optimal patient care and navigating the challenges of mental health services in an outpatient setting.


Rebecca Lahey

Rebecca Lahey, MSW, LCSW, Director
(Other languages: Spanish)

Rebecca Lahey (she/her) is the Director of Integrated Mental Health and Wellness in the Department of Social Work and Community Health. She oversees the psychotherapy services provided by her team of clinicians to RUSH staff, students, and community members and is passionate about supporting the well-being of individuals and the community. Her team provides mental health support through our outpatient clinic, in partnership with certain RUSH specialty care clinics, and through RUSH Wellness. Additionally, she is an instructor in the Department of Social Work in the College of Health Sciences in RUSH University and is proud to support RUSH’s efforts to improve health equity. Rebecca’s background is as a bilingual psychotherapist in Spanish with expertise in trauma, depression and anxiety, acculturation, adjustment to major life transitions, and interpersonal or relationship difficulties. She received her bachelor’s in social work and a BA in Spanish from University of Wisconsin-Madison and her master’s in social work from Loyola University, specializing in healthcare as well as immigration and acculturation.