Alexa Castillo, LPC 
Alexa Castillo, LPC 

Alexa is a bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor with a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As a Latina woman, she brings a deep understanding of cultural identity and is dedicated to providing client-centered, culturally sensitive care to her clients.

She specializes in working with children and adolescents, using trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches that emphasize safety, collaboration, and that incorporate the child’s emerging authentic voice. Alexa is known to integrate play and storytelling through video games in therapy, helping teens express themselves, build emotional regulation skills, and develop tools for real-world change. She integrates psychoeducation for both clients and caregivers, helping them understand the impact of trauma and guiding interventions at a pace that supports healing and readiness.

Alexa’s therapeutic approach is integrative and flexible, grounded in creating a safe, affirming space for growth and healing. She views therapy as a collaborative process, honoring each client as the expert of their own life. She is especially passionate about neurodiverse-affirming care and is committed to supporting individuals with complex needs and histories of harm.

Alexa has worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those navigating housing insecurity, reentry from incarceration, and a history of complex trauma—experiences that have shaped her deep respect for the ways people adapt to survive challenging environments and thrive as the work of healing takes root.

In her free time, Alexa enjoys spending time with loved ones, reading nonfiction, and long walks on the beach with her dog.

Gabby Bennett, LSW
Gabby Bennett, LSW

Gabby Bennett is a Licensed Social Worker who works with individuals, couples, and adolescents to support their journey toward empowerment, connection, and clarity. With a direct and collaborative style, she specializes in helping clients navigate invalidating environments, relational struggles, and identity-based challenges shaped by systemic pressures.

Gabby brings a nuanced understanding of high-achieving, high-pressure experiences to her clinical work, informed by her background as a former collegiate athlete and coach. She is particularly passionate about supporting students, parents, couples, and individuals who have felt unseen, dismissed, or misunderstood in their environments.

Before entering the field of social work, Gabby worked at Goldman Sachs in Human Capital Management on the Learning and Engagement team, where she developed a keen understanding of the challenges faced by professionals in demanding environments. Her prior experience informs her ability to support clients balancing performance, identity, and emotional well-being.

In her work with couples, Gabby brings curiosity and attunement to the therapy room, helping partners deepen their understanding of one another and strengthen emotional intimacy. She supports couples in repairing ruptures, developing new relational patterns, and building on existing dynamics that support their shared goals and connection.

Grounded in relational, strengths-based, and culturally responsive frameworks, Gabby supports clients in deepening their self-awareness, building emotional resilience, and cultivating more authentic relationships. She values working from a place of intention, helping clients explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in a nonjudgmental space. Her approach is anchored in the belief that healing happens in connection—and that therapy can be a powerful space to reclaim voice, choice, and belonging.

Gabby earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago, where she focused on supporting parents working to break generational cycles within the family system. She is also the founder of a nonprofit, Cross Court Connections, which uses volleyball as a vehicle for college access, mental health awareness, and personal development. Gabby holds a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, where she was a four-year collegiate volleyball athlete.

Her work and leadership have been recognized through several honors, including being named a 2024–2025 Obama Foundation Scholar and receiving the AKARAMA Foundation’s Lillie Patterson Scholarship.

Cheryl Grens, MA
Cheryl Grens, MA

Cheryl Grens supports adolescents and adults as a learning specialist and executive functioning coach. Working within a one-on-one coaching format, Cheryl helps her clients “crack the code” on things like time management, planning, organization, task initiation and completion, and analysis of work habits. Cheryl provides each of her clients with the tools to improve their grades and performance, develop confidence to complete tasks on time and meet expectations. Her approach involves fostering the increased self-awareness needed to recognize how they work best, while bringing creativity toward discovering new ways to approach a problem. Through individualized strategies and practice, Cheryl believes that all of her clients have the ability to develop new habits and improve their performance.

Cheryl holds an Illinois Professional Educator’s License and has over twenty years of experience in the classroom. In addition to teaching high school Spanish classes and serving as department chair, Cheryl has also led popular study skills workshops for incoming high school freshmen. She recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Behavior at Harvard University’s Extension School, and holds a Masters of Spanish Language and Literature from Roosevelt University. She majored in Spanish and secondary education in her undergraduate studies.

In her free time, Cheryl enjoys spending time with her two rescue dogs, gardening, and painting.

Martin McGovern, LSW
Martin McGovern, LSW

Martin McGovern is a Licensed Social Worker who works with youth, adults, and couples to navigate difficult mental health challenges, relationship dynamics, and life transitions. With a calm, collaborative presence, Martin helps clients slow down, tune in to their internal experience, and make intentional choices that align with their values.

Drawing from evidence and strengths-based approaches, Martin helps clients explore the deeper roots of their patterns while developing practical tools for change. Additionally, he integrates cognitive and mindfulness-based strategies to support emotional regulation and self-understanding.

Before becoming a therapist, Martin worked in career coaching and communication strategy, experiences that informed his work with professionals seeking clarity, purpose, and healthier work-life balance. He is particularly passionate about supporting individuals facing burnout, perfectionism, and anxiety.

Martin earned his master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is dedicated to creating an affirming, inclusive space for all clients and is attuned to the impact of culture, identity, and systems on mental health.

Martin sees clients at Wellington Counseling Group’s River North and Lakeview locations.

Paul Stojek, ALMFT
Paul Stojek, ALMFT

(Polska wersja poniżej)

Paul Stojek is a compassionate Marriage, Family, and Individual Therapist dedicated to helping people navigate life’s challenges, with a special emphasis on Men’s Mental Wellness, Premarital Counseling, and serving the Polish community. He brings a unique blend of empathy and clinical expertise to his practice. For couples, his Gottman Level 2 certification is key to empowering them to build stronger, more fulfilling relationships through effective communication and a shared vision; he also offers specialized Discernment Counseling for those at a marital crossroads. Fluent in both English and Polish, Paul ensures he creates a welcoming and culturally sensitive therapeutic environment for all his clients. He deeply believes in the transformative power of a collaborative, solution-focused approach, working with individuals to explore solutions and actively re-author their life stories. Recognizing that feelings of overwhelm, discouragement, or confusion are common experiences, Paul’s central goal is to establish a therapeutic partnership where clients feel safe, respected, and empowered to tap into their inner strengths and reclaim their sense of agency. Paul’s journey to becoming a therapist is enriched by a diverse academic foundation, including a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Healthcare Information Systems and Operations Management from Loyola University Chicago. His prior experience in the healthcare industry provides valuable systemic insights, which he later complemented with a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University. Beyond his professional life, Paul enjoys cherishing time with family, friends, and his dogs, staying active, taking long walks, and connecting with new people—all of which reinforces his personal dedication to helping his clients find greater comfort, joy, and peace in their lives

Polish Version:

Paul Stojek to pełen współczucia Terapeuta Małżeński, Rodzinny i Indywidualny (Marriage and Family Therapist, MFT), oddany wspieraniu ludzi w pokonywaniu życiowych wyzwań, ze szczególnym naciskiem na Zdrowie Psychiczne Mężczyzn, Poradnictwo Przedmałżeńskie oraz służenie społeczności polskiej. W swojej praktyce łączy wyjątkową empatię z wiedzą kliniczną. W pracy z parami kluczowy jest jego certyfikat Gottman Level 2, który umożliwia wzmacnianie relacji, pomagając budować silniejsze i bardziej satysfakcjonujące związki poprzez efektywną komunikację i wspólną wizję; oferuje również specjalistyczne Poradnictwo Decyzyjne (Discernment Counseling) dla osób znajdujących się na rozdrożu małżeńskim.

Biegła znajomość zarówno języka angielskiego, jak i polskiego pozwala Paulowi stworzyć przyjazne i wrażliwe kulturowo środowisko terapeutyczne dla wszystkich swoich klientów. Głęboko wierzy w transformującą moc współpracy i podejścia skoncentrowanego na rozwiązaniach, pracując z klientami nad szukaniem rozwiązań i aktywnym współtworzeniem ich historii życiowych. Uznając, że uczucie przytłoczenia, zniechęcenia czy zagubienia jest powszechnym doświadczeniem, głównym celem Paula jest nawiązanie partnerstwa terapeutycznego, w którym klienci czują się bezpiecznie, są szanowani i upoważnieni do wykorzystania swoich wewnętrznych sił i odzyskania sprawczości.

Droga Paula do terapii została wzbogacona o różnorodne podstawy akademickie, w tym tytuł licencjata w zakresie Administracji Biznesowej oraz tytuł magistra w dziedzinie Systemów Informacyjnych i Zarządzania Operacjami w Opiece Zdrowotnej, uzyskane na Loyola University Chicago. Jego wcześniejsze doświadczenie w sektorze opieki zdrowotnej zapewnia cenne, systemowe spojrzenie, które później uzupełnił tytułem magistra Terapii Małżeńskiej i Rodzinnej zdobytym na Capella University.

Poza życiem zawodowym, Paul ceni sobie czas spędzany z rodziną, przyjaciółmi i psami; lubi pozostawać aktywny, odbywać długie spacery i poznawać nowych ludzi – wszystko to wzmacnia jego osobiste zaangażowanie w pomaganie klientom w odnalezieniu większego komfortu, radości i spokoju w ich życiu.

Pamela Murphy, Psy.D.
Pamela Murphy, Psy.D.

After earning a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2006, Dr. Pamela Murphy received her Doctorate of Psychology, (Psy.D.) and is licensed in the state of Illinois as a clinical psychologist. 

Dr. Murphy conducts psychological evaluations to diagnose autism spectrum disorder, mood disorder, specific learning disorders and ADHD and has completed psychological evaluations for a number of clients helping them to confirm their diagnoses and connect clients with accommodations both academically and occupationally. Dr. Murphy has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families with a variety of disorders including behavioral, mood, and personality. She has experience providing direct mental health services including individual and group psychotherapy and conducting psychological evaluations, as well as supervising others providing such services. Although she has worked with multiple symptom presentations, she has extensive experience working with those dealing with instituting behavioral change, adjustment concerns, life transitions, stress/emotion management, and loss.

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