therapist & administrative staff
OFFICE STAFF
Our carefully selected administrative STAFF
We Are Here To Help.
“Acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now, without judging.” ~Marsha Linehan, Founder of DBT
Kyle Ahten
OPERATIONS SUPPORT
AND CLIENT CARE SPECIALIST
Kyle brings a life-long interest in psychology and spirituality with a strong desire to understand motivation and what makes people “tick”. In addition to being Client Care specialist he is the Building Operation manager for all 3 offices.
Interesting Fact #1: Kyle has work experience in outdoor settings, including landscaping and construction.
Interesting Fact #2: Though Kyle thinks office chairs are really comfortable, he’d rather be fishing.
Mindy Cunningham
CLIENT CARE SPECIALIST
Mindy is our Client Care specialist who works directly with clients during the intake procedure up until their first appointment, and is there for any client-related questions. She works to select the best therapist for each client’s specific needs.
Interesting Fact #1: Mindy has her Bachelors in Psychology and eventually plans to get her Masters.
Interesting Fact #2: Mindy loves dark chocolate with a passion!
Melanie Hoogstraat
CLIENT CARE SPECIALIST AND
CREDENTIALING ASSOCIATE
Melanie plays a dual role of Client Care specialist and our Credentialing Associate. She works with clients to ensure their needs are met before their first appointment. She also spends parts of her day credentialing therapists with insurance!
Interesting Fact #1: Melanie is a pet rescue mom of 5 and they are her world!
Interesting Fact #2: She is obsessed with reading books. In 2019 she averaged 22 books per month.
Mandy Paysse
SR. MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Mandy is a creative and multi-passionate marketer. She is responsible for supporting, developing and executing strategic marketing campaigns. She works on all marketing pieces for the company from the life of the website, email marketing, social media and outreach to support brand awareness around all things Elliott Counseling Group offers.
Interesting Fact #1: Mandy has lived in California, extended stays in South America and now lives in Texas with her daughter.
Interesting Fact #2: She has her Masters in Mass Communication and is a forever student with a love for learning and growing her skills.
Tareva Schwanke
EXECUTIVE SUPPORT SPECIALIST
Tareva assists our Management and Clinical Leadership teams with projects regarding company and clinical direction, scheduling and documenting meetings, executive assistant work, and other various tasks as assigned.
Interesting Fact #1: Tareva is a mom to a three-year-old, who keeps her very happy and busy!
Interesting Fact #2: She has enough tumbler mugs to support a new one for every day of the week.
Raven Rome
LEAD RECEPTIONIST
Interesting Fact #1: She has a major thing for bitter and spicy. 72-85% dark chocolate, undiluted espresso, 100% cranberry or grapefruit juice, aged stouts, and more hot sauce and peppers than any human being should realistically ingest.
Interesting Fact #2: Before Elliott Counseling Group, she worked in logistics and professional print services for UPS.
Brea Wickert
CLARK ST. RECEPTIONIST
Brea is at our front desk at our Clark Street location, warmly welcoming clients and tending to any needs or questions they have. She also answers the phones, emails, and assists in helping therapists with administrative duties.
Interesting Fact #1: Brea is an advocate of mental health– so much that she has two jobs in the field.
Interesting Fact #2: She and her brother have a 20 year age difference, creating a special bond between the two.
Lori Smith
URBANA RECEPTIONIST
Lori is a receptionist at our Urbana location. She greets and checks-in clients, answers phone calls, organizes paperwork, and various other clerical duties. She is a welcoming face at the front desk who is happy to help with any assignment!
Interesting Fact #1: Lori is a die-hard, life-long Cubs baseball fan!
Interesting Fact #2: In her spare time, Lori loves to travel- especially on a cruise.
LaShaunna Howard
URBANA RECEPTIONIST
LaShaunna is stationed at our Urbana location, and is eager to help with anything a client, therapist, or Management might bring. She is attentive and kind to clients, with their best interest in mind. She attends to various clerical duties.
Interesting Fact #1: Loves doing manicures and pedicures – hopes to become a nail technician
Interesting Fact #2: One of her favorite activities is to spend time with both of her daughters and fiance
Loren Brooks
HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST
Loren is responsible for all aspects of Human Resources, including the support of business needs, ensuring proper implementation of company strategy and objectives, managing recruitment and employee performance tracking, and aids in company direction and growth.
Interesting Fact #1: He loves trying spicy things – his fridge has an entire shelf dedicated to hot sauces, and he makes his own too.
Interesting Fact #2: He’s an all-around nerd, and will happily talk about movies (especially bad ones!), games (either video games or tabletop), books, comics, or pretty much anything else.
Anna McCormick
ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST
Anna is highly experienced in the accounting field. She works with various aspects of recording and reporting financial transactions, such as accounts payable and payroll. She also assists with special projects designated by Management Team!
Interesting Fact #1: Anna lived in St. Louis, Missouri for 4 years… and naturally is a die-hard Cardinal fan.
Interesting Fact #2: She has a Shih Tzu, Sadie, who Anna got when Sadie was 3 months old. Sadie is now 12!
Christine Bailey
BILLING SPECIALIST
Christine is an all-star member of our Billing Team. She genuinely enjoys advocating for clients with insurance companies in an effort to gain approval for denied claims. She thrives on solving the puzzle of Billing issues!
Interesting Fact #1: Christine challenged traditional good luck and was married on a Friday the 13th.
Interesting Fact #2: Christine is an avid crafter! She enjoys any project that requires creativity
Farron Velles
BILLING SPECIALIST
Farron manages daily transactions and client accounts as a part of our Billing Team, and is a veteran on the Elliott Counseling Group team.
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT
WE’RE BETTER TOGETHER
Our Client Care team is available to work with you and find out your unique goals and needs so we can find the right therapist for you.
It’s okay to not be okay. We are here to help you, no matter your needs.
“After all, we are all Better . . . Together.
Even on the hardest days that you face, you have support to lean on. Sometimes, it takes confidin in someone else to see the light inside ourselves… and that is perfectly okay.
We have over 35 trained therapists who are here to work with you so that you can recognize and process your feelings and thoughts and provide tools to turn those into action. We want to help you realize the empowerment that you already have, within yourself, so that you are able to make the changes you desire most in life.”
You Are Not Alone
National Crisis Prevention Hotline Can Help.
1.800.273.8255
Champaign Location
309 W. Clark St.
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 398-9066
Tuscola Location
704 N. Main St.
Tuscola, IL 61953
(217) 398-9066
Urbana Location
2001 Philo Rd
Urbana, IL, 61802
(217) 552-1211