Who We Are

Dr. Sarah H. Krcmarik
Founder & Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Krcmarik views therapy as a unique opportunity to know and understand yourself in more profound and meaningful ways so as to allow true clarity, healing and purpose in everyday life. She specializes in treating adolescents, adults, families, and couples, and also provides a wide range of psychological and neuropsychological evaluations. In addition, she supports practitioners looking to enhance their clinical skills through consultation and supervision. Dr. Krcmarik received her undergraduate degree from Marquette University and both Master and Doctoral Degrees in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology.

Katie Crofton
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor

As a clinical therapist Katie provides a warm, safe, and accepting environment in which clients can better understand and manage their emotional experiences. With the belief that the relationship with oneself is the point from which all possibilities, growth and connection emanate, Katie helps clients move toward their full potential through the process of knowing themselves more completely.

Katie works closely with adult individuals in a manner that supports their healing and self-awareness. She is an active and compassionate therapist with experience helping clients face difficult or painful parts of themselves or their past in order to discover healthy solutions based on their unique values and goals.

Katie received her Master degree in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


Jaida McDowell
Licensed Professional Counselor

Jaida believes that therapy is a gift and an incredible honor to journey alongside clients as they work towards healing and empowerment in their everyday lives. It is her conviction that all clients have a unique and complex story to tell and to share, so she works towards providing a safe space and relationship for them to be heard and valued. And, she is committed to helping clients learn about themselves in new ways so as to be able to tap into their own unique abilities to overcome life’s obstacles and stressors and then live with freedom and clarity.

Jaida is experienced working in hospital and community settings and providing counseling to children, adolescents, teens, and adults. Her particular areas of expertise include supporting individuals who are struggling with self-esteem issues, grief, relationship problems, anxiety, depression, adjustment to life transitions, faith/spirituality, sexuality, and trauma. She strongly advocates for mental health wellness, especially for those in marginalized and minority communities.

Jaida received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Trauma Certificate from Wheaton College and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.


Madeleine Mears
Licensed Professional Counselor

Even when it may not feel like it, hope and healing do exist and are possible. Maybe your anxiety is becoming too difficult to manage or perhaps your relationships aren't working? Maybe your relationship with your body and food is not in a great place or you have experienced trauma and are looking for healing? Regardless of the circumstance that brings you into therapy, starting therapy is a courageous step, and Madeleine firmly believes in the power of therapy to bring about healing and growth.  

As a therapist, Madeleine believes in creating a safe space and a warm environment where you can come as you are and feel heard and be seen. Therapy is about collaboration, and every person has a unique story to tell. Come open and honest with who you are and what you are struggling with (everyone has those things!), and Madeleine will help you learn to love yourself more, grow in your confidence and communication patterns, and increase overall wellbeing.

Madeleine is experienced with providing counseling to adolescents and adults. Her clinical interests lie in helping those struggling with body image, self-esteem, and disordered eating. Additionally, Madeleine has experience counseling those with OCD, depression, anxiety, complicated grief and bereavement, sexuality concerns, relationship issues, stress and trauma, and adjusting through difficult life transitions.

Madeleine received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Trauma Certificate from Wheaton College and completed her undergraduate degree in Marketing from the Ohio State University.

Marialaina Bucci
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor

Therapy is healing through storytelling; we all have a story to tell whether it is a particular event or unraveling the thread of time. While engaging in this work, it is foundational for Marialaina to create a space where individuals are invited to reflect upon their personal narrative in order to “connect the dots.” She aids those she works with by acting as a mirror to reflect and challenge unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors, and she accompanies those she serves as they embark on their search for authenticity, self-compassion, and transformation.

The individuals under her care have now and will always be met by her genuine self as she chooses to holistically engage with them as human beings with many intersectional identities and unique experiences - not as ‘sick’, ‘crazy’, or ‘broken’. Her firm belief that each person knows themselves best and embodies the power needed for growth allows her, informed by her nurturing, lighthearted but direct approach, to empower them to own their treatment.

Throughout this healing process, she utilizes her commitment to holistic and somatic methods, while approaching this work with a trauma-informed perspective in order to achieve regulation within the body and mind. She incorporates mindfulness, meditation, breath work, writing and art, and movement in conjunction with traditional talk therapy utilizing a variety of frameworks based on each person’s specific needs. Based on her experience providing therapy during her academic and professional career, Marialaina has been able to assist and support individuals in working with trauma/post-traumatic growth, anxiety, depression, mood instability, relationship issues, attention/focus challenges, grief/loss, body image issues, OCD, and addiction/recovery.

Marialaina completed her Bachelor's Degree in 2012 at University of Illinois at Chicago and obtained her Master’s Degree from Adler University in 2014. In addition to over a decade of experience in the field, Marialaina is a Certified Domestic Violence Professional (CDVP), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist(C-DBT), and a Certified Grief-Informed Professional (GC-C). 

Hannah Rahman
Staff Therapist

Hannah believes that therapy should serve as a safe haven which allows clients to show up authentically in order to explore and integrate their unique, complex, and beautiful selves. She feels that each client has within themselves the capacity for positive and lasting growth. She is committed to empowering clients to recognize their personal strengths, build more self-awareness, and foster meaningful change in their lives. 

Hannah specializes in treating adolescents, adults, couples and families experiencing a wide range of psychological and life stressors. She has specific expertise in providing support for anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, grief, relational stress, and identity exploration.

Hannah earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and she is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Cherie Hamaj
Licensed Professional Counselor

In order to develop a strong therapeutic relationship, Cherie strives to create a space that allows clients to feel safe, comfortable, and free of judgement. She sees the relationship between client and therapist as collaborative and works to create an environment where people feel empowered and capable as they heal. 

Cherie comes from a background of working within the community mental health setting and has expertise in working with children, adolescents, and young adults as well as providing individual and family therapy. She has a particular interest in helping people work through anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD in addition to family conflict, anger management, self-esteem issues, grief, stress, and relationship issues.

Cherie received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University.


Dr. Matthew Schneider
Staff  Therapist

Dr. Schneider's approach to therapy emphasizes feelings of trust, safety, warmth, and authenticity to encourage his clients as they grow by developing self-knowledge and self-compassion throughout the therapeutic process. He draws from multiple perspectives to help understand and walk with his clients as they integrate their courage, creativity, curiosity, and strengths into their lives. Dr. Schneider’s clients use their strengths to address past memories, process difficult emotions and life experiences, and develop a vision for a hopeful and fulfilling future. His approach rests on the foundational beliefs that you are the person that knows yourself the best, and that you bring unique and deeply meaningful contributions into all of your relationships. 

Dr. Schneider welcomes his clients to engage in authentic and non-judgmental self-exploration to find new meanings from past experiences and relationships. He supports and empowers his clients as they draw from their emotions, memories, and personal values to create deeper, more enriching relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and themselves. 

He has experience and interest in treating anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, complex trauma, chronic mental illness, substance abuse, men’s issues, life transitions, self-esteem issues, and relational stress with children, teens, and adults. He earned his undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University and earned his Master and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.


Michael Mudgett
Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Michael believes that engaging in psychotherapy can help people find meaning and gain insight into lived experience as a whole, which inherently includes some degree of pain, suffering, and conflict. This process contributes to alleviating problems in life, in large part by the development of robust internal and interpersonal capacities, which afford one greater ability to experience life with more freedom, authenticity, and overall well being. He believes the relationship between therapist and client is essential to healing, as it allows for communication, empathy, and the mutual understanding of experience. In conjunction with developing the therapeutic relationship, Michael aims to facilitate the co-construction of a creative space relative to each person that is safe, non-judgmental, open, and meaningful in which to explore whatever is on one's mind and heart.

Michael has particular clinical experience and interest in working with people experiencing difficulties related to depression, anxiety, trauma, mood disturbances, posttraumatic stress, psychosis, and men's issues. In addition, he holds expertise in helping to manage grief and loss, interpersonal or relationship problems, developmental trauma or conflict, self-esteem issues, stress management, and difficulties regulating emotion.

Michael is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and received both his Bachelor Degree in Psychology and Master Degree in Social Work from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. He is also a current PhD candidate at the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago.


Hannah Lipschultz
Licensed Professional Counselor

Hannah approaches therapy as a dance between the client and the therapist where she allows the client to lead her on their journey. She creates a space of both comfort and depth that allows clients to explore the inner workings of their minds as well as their day-to-day lives and relationships. With attention to both past and present aspects of her client’s experiences, Hannah holds the space for both exploration and solution-seeking. She works collaboratively and dynamically by discussing and sharing her thoughts and ideas with her clients and works to make a truly positive difference in their lives.

Hannah has experience and proficiency treating anxiety, depression, relationship and self-esteem concerns, personality difficulties, phase of life transitions, substance abuse, trauma, women's issues, and issues around sex and sexuality.

Hannah earned her Bachelor’s degree in anthropology and social welfare from Indiana University and holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adler University.

Dr. Kinjal Panchal
Staff Therapist

Dr. Panchal focuses on a biopsychosocial model of therapy. Rooted in eastern psychology, she identifies as a Vedic therapist and brings a strong collaborative and relational approach to therapy built upon a body and mind connection. She highlights an individual’s strengths and recognizes that an individual’s mental health is tied to their environment, family, biology, and social systems along with their own self-identity. By integrating the individual’s entire identity, she believes that a more comprehensive type of healing can take place.


 Dr. Panchal has particular expertise and interest in working with depression, anxiety, identity development, sexual dysfunction, and complex trauma alongside a specialty in multicultural psychology, theory, and advocacy work within communities of color. She provides individual, couples, and family therapy services as well as a wide range of neuropsychological assessments.

Dr. Panchal earned her Doctor of Clinical Psychology with a minor in Diversity Studies from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and she is currently an adjunct professor of multicultural psychology and psychological assessment.