Melissa Young
Hello! I'm Melissa and my belief is that therapy is a collaborative process that empowers you to obtain the insight and wisdom to answer your own questions. I believe that we all inherently possess the tools to solve our most challenging life crises, however, have lost perspective, support, and compassion towards ourselves and others. I specialize in helping people seek balance and wellness. I work with those looking to find resolution and recover their personal power.
The passion I have for helping others comes from my own personal experiences with self-discovery, managing career pressures and ambition and navigating the often unpredictable paths of life. I am a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s candidate at Northwestern University and want to help others heal and learn to live a balanced and fulfilling life.
Meeting your individual needs and honoring your unique way of relating to the world is my focus. My job is to provide a safe non- judgmental environment as we uncover the things that keep you from absolute wellness.
Areas of Expertise: Creatives, persons of color and multiracial individuals, university students, medical students, survivors of abuse and neglect, anxiety and depression, people from complicated families.
Modalities: Adlerian, Psychodynamic Theory, Mindfulness, Multicultural + Feminist
Specialties: Trauma, Survivors of abuse or neglect, people from complicated families.
Topical focus: Anxiety, depression, creative adults, LGBTQIAA+ ally, kink/bdsm ally, toxic families, parents with personality disorders.
I am Clinically focused but grounded in spirituality. Big believer in law of attraction, setting intentions and manifesting a desired life.
Taja-Nia Horne
I am Taja-Nia, a therapist intern whose life mission is to provide children and adolescents with the mental and emotional skills necessary for their overall success. My work with youth in various fields helped me discover my passion for children, adolescents, and mental health, especially Black and Brown youth in underserved communities. This led to the pursuit of my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Bradley University, and my work with children and adolescents in clinical settings. As a program specialist at a major inpatient psychiatric hospital, I help youth clients in crisis regulate their emotions and develop lifestyle changes to promote overall wellness. This is done by working with them to identify triggers, explore coping skills, and plan for next steps. My background and experiences offer a unique perspective to counseling.
I believe therapy is a collaborative process between the counselor and the client, with the client being the expert of their own life. As such, I create a safe space and act as a guide, assisting the client as they explore past and current issues, unhealthy patterns, and identify overall goals. I utilize evidence-based strategies and techniques from an integrated cognitive-behavioral, individual psychology approach. Additionally, I incorporate aspects of mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, and motivation interviewing. Human behavior is learned and developed within social contexts.
Each individual presents with unique worldview based on developmental age, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial background, and culture. As such, I meet clients where they are, mentally and emotionally. Treatment is tailored to meet clients’ individual needs. I have experience with youth who present with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, suicidal ideations, and self-injurious behavior, as well as disruptive behavior, eating disorders, and trauma.
I work with children, adolescents, and their families or caregivers to effectively address problematic areas and identify mutually agreed upon goals. Psychoeducation is provided to increase understanding which assists in that goal setting and optimal client functioning. My ultimate goal as a therapist is to promote client insight, challenge faulty thinking, encourage behavioral change, and empower clients to take control over their lives in ways that lead to mental, physical, and emotional wellness.
