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Kelsey Avera LPC n.jpeg

Kelsey Avera, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

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Pronouns: she, her, hers

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  Limited availability for new clients   

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Who: Individual adults

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Where: Virtual and In Person (Lincoln Square)

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In network:

Aetna, BCBS / Blue Choice PPO, Cigna and U-SHIP

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kavera@chicagocounselingcollective.com

About Me

My therapeutic approach is rooted in a feminist-multicultural and person-centered framework, which means I prioritize a safe, supportive client-therapist relationship while fostering client empowerment and exploration of intersectional identities. Themes common to my work include creating space for authenticity, building resilience and emotional regulation after trauma, navigating the impact of oppression and chronic stress, empowering and accommodating disability, navigating chronic illness, processing grief and loss, and exploring identity.

 

I have clinical experience working with adults with ADHD and Autism, anxiety, depression, PTSD, grief and loss, LGBTQIA+-affirming therapy, body image, life transitions, burnout, disability, and chronic illness/pain. In addition to my therapy framework, my approach often integrates mindfulness, body-based interventions, and evidence-based techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). As an advocate, I am passionate about disability rights, the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement, and neurodiversity-affirming care.

 

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois and completed my Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s degree at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. My practicum and internship experiences were completed at The Meaningful Life Center, a DBT-focused therapy site in Orlando, and Rollins College’s Cornell Counseling Clinic.

Client Focus and Experience

Where I See Clients:

 

I Work With:

  • Neurodiverse individuals

  • College students

  • Artists / creative types

  • LGBTQIA+

 

Specializations:

  • ADHD & Autism

  • Anxiety & Depression

  • Disability & Chronic Illness

  • Education and Learning Disabilities

  • Existential Issues

  • Grief & Loss

  • Identity Development

  • Life Transitions

  • Self-Esteem

  • Perfectionism

  • Trauma (including religious trauma)

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My Therapy Approach:

  • Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)

  • Dialectical Behavior (DBT)

  • Disability-Affirming Therapy

  • Eclectic

  • Existential

  • Feminist

  • Humanistic

  • Multicultural

  • Person-Centered

  • Psychodynamic

  • Relational

  • Trauma Focused

 

Licensure:

  • Illinois, 178.021222

 

Education:

  • MA, clinical mental health counseling, Rollins College

 

Some Favorite Quotes:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver
 

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. - Oscar Wilde

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