Meet Our Team
At Empowered Connections Counseling, our diverse group of licensed therapists offers
multidisciplinary counseling services to adults, children & teens, relationships, and families in Chicago and greater Illinois.
Get to know our therapists by reviewing their profiles below.
Kristopher Arman Bakhtiar, LSW, AM
Perfectionism, immigrant experiences, relationships, college students & recent grads, men struggling with vulnerability, Non-conformists who need support
Peter Beer, MA, LMFT
Relational conflicts, attachment losses/ruptures, depression, anxiety, complex trauma, and stress management
Shawnté Bennett, MA, LMFT
Individuals of all ages, families, relationships. Self-esteem issues, people-pleasing.
Sami Boomgarden, MA, LCPC
Neurodivergence (especially Autism and ADHD), disordered eating, trauma, anxiety, depression, and addiction.
Whitney Christmas, MS, LMFT, PMH-C
Anxiety, depression, grief, relationship conflict related to trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood.
Tim Ciochon MS, LMFT
Anxiety, eating disorders, religious trauma, relationship issues.
Liz Gray, MSW, LCSW, RPT
Depression, anxiety, life transitions, relationship concerns, trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
Kimberly Griswold, Administrative Assistant
I strive to partner our clients with a therapist that will meet their needs.
Mary McNeill, MA, LPC
Aging, anxiety, athlete mental health, depression, grief, LGBTQ+ issues, illness or injury, sexual health, trauma, work conflicts.
Learn more about Mary >
Alex Ragsdale, MA, AMFT
Relationships, trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-exploration, neurodivergent-affirming care.
Learn more about Alex >
Danielle Zawadski, MS, LMFT
Mood and anxiety disorders, life transitions, relationships, trauma / PTSD.
Garth LaHue, MA, LMFT
Family-of-origin issues, infidelity, interpersonal communication, life transitions, mood disorders, pre-marital counseling, suicidal ideation, sexual trauma.
Trinity Nelson, MS
Adolescents & teens experiencing life changes, attachment wounds, college students, life transitions, relational conflicts, women.
Learn more about Trinity >
Gia Scalise, MSW, LSW
LGBTQ+/TGNC issues, neurodivergent-affirming care (ADHD and autism), identity exploration, intergenerational trauma, adult children of addicts, substance use and recovery, anxiety, depression.
Kayla Jiaxuan Zhang, AMFT
Depression, anxiety, self-esteem, intimate relationships, transgenerational conflicts for immigrant families, international students, immigrants experiences, college students.
Learn more about Kayla >
Palmy (Thita) Lamsam, MS
Couple reconnection, infidelity/affairs, trust rebuilding, building self-esteem, navigating life transitions, mental health for high-performance athletes, system-impacted populations.
Bilingual (English, Thai ภาษาไทย])
Learn more about Palmy >
Min G (Shinhae Oh) Choe, MA
Self-esteem, relationships, intergenerational conflicts, immigrant experiences, religious identity.
Bilingual (English, Korean 한국인)
Learn more about Shinhae >
Tothyanna White, MA
Life transitions, anxiety, depression, psychosis, personality disorders.
Learn more about Tothyanna >
Emily Long, MSW, LCSW
Eating disorders, substance use and process addictions, CPTSD/PTSD, LGBQ+/TGNC identities, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Learn more about Emily >
Leticia Perez, MA
Depression, anxiety, chronic pain, women's issues, perinatal population, life changes, body image, weight, college students, stress.
Bilingual (English, Español)
Joanna Zakhem, MS, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist
Anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, trauma responses.
Learn more about Joanna >