SpringSource Psychological Center was founded by two Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologists as a collaborative practice to help individuals heal from eating disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship concerns, and life stressors such as pregnancy and infertility.
After years of working with clients, teaching, delving into primary research, and publishing and presenting alongside each other, we developed a deep friendship and shared vision for helping individuals heal in an innovative, intuitive psychological environment.
We came together in 2020 to found SpringSource Psychological Center, a warm, welcoming practice where we work with individuals seeking to improve their emotional, behavioral, and mental health.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Susan McClanahan is a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. She is the founder and innovator of a major Illinois treatment center, serving patients with eating, mood, and anxiety disorders. She is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and a faculty member at Rush University Medical School. She has been teaching and educating students and professionals for more than 20 years.
Dr. McClanahan received her B.A. in psychology from Duke University, her M.A. in developmental psychology from Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is an accredited Certified Eating Disorders Specialist by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals.
A national advocate for mental health parity and reducing stigma for mental health treatment, Dr. McClanahan is passionate about individual therapy and creates a supportive, nurturing environment for her patients.
Dr. Angela Derrick is a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois and has been practicing for 18 years. An active member of the Academy for Eating Disorders, she holds academic appointments at both Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Rush University Medical School. Dr. Derrick is currently engaged in training and supervision and previously provided consultation to a large behavioral health treatment center.
Dr. Derrick received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Georgia State University and completed her internship and post-doctoral training at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Supervisor through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. She has also served as co-chair and member on several committees through the Academy for Eating Disorders. In addition to private practice, she has many years of experience working in various leadership roles at higher levels of care.
Dr. Derrick has frequently written and presented on eating and mood disorders in both professional and community forums. She has extensive training in the practice of mindfulness and holds a yoga teaching certification, believing that the mind-body connection provides an essential foundation for self-regulation and self-knowledge.
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Andi Stone, PsyD., is a licensed clinical psychologist. She received her BA in clinical psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and her PsyD from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology.
Dr. Stone specializes in the treatment of mood, anxiety, personality, and trauma-related disorders in adults and young adults and has worked for many years in higher levels of care settings. She most recently served as a Clinical Director for Pathlight’s Mood and Anxiety Center in Chicago. Dr. Stone has specialized training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), The DBT Prolonged Exposure Protocol (DBT PE), Written Exposure Therapy (WET), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Dr. Stone regularly presents at national conferences on her work with DBT and mindfulness. She is well-known for her compassionate style, sense of humor, and ability to calmly handle difficult moments, making her an excellent leader, supervisor, and clinician.
Dr. Hannah Clark, Ph.D., received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Science from Gustavus Adolphus College and completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan. Before joining SpringSource, Hannah completed her internship in clinical psychology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Hannah has experience working with individuals, couples, and groups with a range of presenting concerns. She specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and traumatic stress by integrating Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches. Hannah is passionate about helping clients build rich, meaningful lives through acceptance, awareness, and self-compassion.
Hannah is also an active researcher and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on the effects of traumatic experiences during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. She is especially interested in understanding how therapeutic interventions can promote resilience after trauma. Hannah regularly presents her work at national and international conferences and has been recognized for her excellence in research and scholarship in the field of traumatic stress.
Renee D. Rienecke, Ph.D., FAED, is Director of Research for Eating Recovery Center/Insight Behavioral Health Centers and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University After earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, Dr. Rienecke received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. She completed her clinical psychology internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago, where she was on faculty in the Eating Disorders Program for ten years.
Dr. Rienecke has extensive experience building treatment programs, including the University of Michigan Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program and the Medical University of South Carolina Eating Disorders Program.
Dr. Rienecke is a Fellow in the Academy for Eating Disorders and a faculty member of the Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders. She previously provided consultation to therapists interested in becoming certified to conduct family-based therapy (FBT) for adolescent eating disorders.
Dr. Rienecke serves as a clinical consultant for SpringSource Psychological Center.
Fernanda de Alba, NCC, LPC, is a clinical professional counselor in both Mexico City and Illinois. She graduated from International Universidad Iberoamericana and bases her practice in integrative counseling. Fernanda specializes in individual therapy for depression, anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, and eating disorders with adults, adolescents, and families. She is trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches, including Solution Focused Therapy, Client Centered Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Systemic Therapy.
Fernanda’s experience includes working with a large, community-based organization helping women with empowerment, teenage education, eating disorders, and emotional and social skill training. She has many years of experience working in various leadership roles, teaching at the collegiate level, and working with companies and organizations. Fernanda bases her practice on the principles of helping clients build a healthier, more peaceful version of themselves through understanding and emotional expression while balancing a rational perspective.
Fernanda is an advocate for all people’s rights, mental health awareness, inclusion, and feminism. She adapts these principles to create a therapeutic space of empathy, self-growth, and development.
Kirstin Schafer, Ph. D., received a doctorate in clinical psychology from Marywood University and trained in a variety of clinical settings, including residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization programs, and college counseling centers. She has significant experience treating mood, eating, and anxiety disorders and utilizes cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, evidence-based treatments to help her patients recover.
Dr. Schafer treats a diverse population and her areas of focus include major depression, trauma and stress disorders, family problems, self-esteem issues, body-image disturbance, gender and sexuality exploration, and LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapy. Dr. Schafer uses an integrative approach, which includes psychodynamic, CBT, DBT, Radically Open DBT therapy, and attachment-based theories. She focuses on the whole person, and her stance is non-judgmental and supportive. Dr. Schafer believes that connection and community are healing and will work to create a space in which you feel heard and understood.
Scott Prinz, LPC, graduated from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Northeastern Illinois University and is a licensed professional counselor. Scott specializes in individual and group therapy for depression and anxiety with adults and adolescents and utilizes a trauma-informed care perspective. Scott has experience with a variety of therapeutic approaches, including Client-Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Scott has previously treated mood, anxiety, and eating disorders in various clinical settings, including residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, and an outpatient therapy practice. He believes that the therapeutic alliance between the therapist and client is the foundation of change and progress. Scott brings warmth and compassion to his professional work and tailors his practice to each client’s unique personal values.
Check out Scott’s blog contributions:
Our Kids Need Help—Mental Health Challenges & Treatment in Adolescents and Young Adults
Alison M. Mayer (Ali), NCC, LCPC, is a master’s level clinician who specializes in working with individuals across the lifespan who are struggling with eating disorders (including ARFID and binge eating disorder), depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. Ali completed her undergraduate training at Michigan State University and received her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at National Louis University.
Ali utilizes evidence-based theories, including ACT, CBT, DBT, R0-DBT, ERP, EFFT, and FBT, and has a collaborative and trauma-informed approach. She has provided treatment at higher levels of care, including inpatient, residential, PHP, and IOP. Ali frequently incorporates family members into the treatment and recognizes the importance of attending to the whole family system. She is currently the outreach coordinator at SpringSource and enjoys making connections with other professionals in the field.
Ali was appointed to the board of the Heartland Chapter of IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) in 2023 and is completing her training to be a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS). She is a passionate advocate for individuals with eating disorders and believes recovery is possible for anyone at any point in their lives.
Check out Ali’s blog contributions:
How to Support a Loved One With an Eating Disorder During the Holidays and Beyond
Jess Murphy, MEd, NCC, C-DBT, LPC, graduated from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at DePaul University. Jess specializes in the treatment of individuals struggling with eating disorders, body-image, life-transitions, depression, anxiety, and relationship issues for adolescents and adults. Jess is currently pursuing specialized training to become a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) and is a Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapy professional (C-DBT). Her clinical foundation is rooted in liberation and psychodynamic principles while integrating a trauma-informed care perspective to help aid those in healing. Jess utilizes evidence-based interventions, including Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), and operates from a Health At Every Size HAES perspective.
Jess has previous experience in the Chicago Public School system as several years’ experience in various clinical settings including inpatient, residential treatment, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). As a clinician Jess believes that information is stored within the body from past experiences and is not always readily accessible to us for various reasons. Through humor, empathy, and compassion Jess fosters a therapeutic space to help you achieve a higher sense of self.
Masha Erofeeva, LCPC, is a licensed clinical therapist with several years of experience in the field of mental health. Masha received her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northern Arizona University. She works with individuals, couples, and groups, and is trained in CBT, Gottman Method, ERP, client-centered therapy and other traditional therapies. In addition, she incorporates Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal, and Somatic Experiencing Therapies.
Masha has worked in a higher level of care setting with individuals struggling with eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. She has engaged in health promotion outreach, including teaching meditation, stress relief, and general wellness practices. She believes that seeing the client from a holistic perspective is essential to successful therapy and rapport building. Masha incorporates yoga, meditation and journaling into her work while also taking a multicultural and personalized approach to therapy.
Alice Bigelow, LPC, CCATP, is a licensed professional counselor and a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional. She obtained her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and her bachelor’s from the University of Washington. She has experience in working with individuals, families, and groups in various mental health settings, including inpatient, residential, PHP, and IOP levels of care. She specializes in treating adults struggling with depression, anxiety, life stressors, trauma, and issues related to gender and sexual orientation. As a queer-identified clinician, Alice has a particular interest in supporting individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Alice utilizes CBT, DBT, ACT, Exposure and Response Prevention, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and other evidence-based interventions and tailors the treatment approach to the needs of each client. Alice aims to create an environment of safety where clients can engage in self-exploration with compassion and non-judgment. She brings empathy and humor to the therapeutic space.
Sarah Elfman, LSW, is a licensed social worker in Illinois. She graduated from Florida State University with a master’s degree in social work and has extensive experience working with adolescents, adults, families, and groups. Sarah has worked in a variety of therapeutic settings, including intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, community mental health, and refugee emergency response. She has a unique perspective on supporting veterans and their families through grief, deployments, and life transitions. Her areas of expertise are working with individuals with eating disorders, body image disturbances, ADHD, grief, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal conflicts.
Sarah incorporates various modalities of therapy in sessions based on her clients’ goals for treatment, including Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT). Sarah is a Registered-200-hour yoga instructor and incorporates mindfulness into therapy sessions when indicated.
Sarah believes that the therapeutic alliance is the key to success. She acknowledges an individual’s diverse and unique life experiences must always be respected. She is an LGBTQ+ affirming, body-positive, and culturally sensitive therapist.
Check out Sarah’s blog contributions:
Kelsey Hoeper, MA, LPC, NCC, is a licensed professional counselor and received their Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Roosevelt University. Kelsey has experience working in higher level of care settings for eating disorders with adolescents, adults, and families. They are trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, Somatic Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy. Kelsey is also a Certified Embodied Exercise Practitioner and Grief Support Specialist and is currently in the process of earning certification as a Body Trust Provider and Integrated Trauma Practitioner.
Kelsey’s therapeutic style is gentle, curious, collaborative, humorous, driven, social justice oriented, and anti-oppressive. Kelsey advocates for size and weight inclusivity, respectful and compassionate care, and eating and moving for well-being. They celebrate gender identity exploration and believe neurodivergence, disability, and chronic illness are normal human experiences. Kelsey uses a trauma-informed approach and strives to meet people where they are at, believing that every person is the expert on their own lived experiences.
Outside therapy, Kelsey enjoys writing poetry and journaling, passing the time with coloring books, collecting Corgi-themed merchandise, reading, watching movies, going on small and big adventures of all kinds, swimming, thrifting, and spending time with loved ones.
Lindsey Williams, LSW, earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago, specializing in mental health. Lindsey integrates evidence-based techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to help clients achieve personal goals and deepen self-awareness.
Passionate about supporting clients through interpersonal relationship challenges, life transitions, identity exploration, family dynamics, and emotional struggles, Lindsey is dedicated to fostering a safe and open space for authentic conversations. As a sex-positive therapist, she ensures clients can freely express their thoughts and feelings without hesitation. Grounded in the Strengths-Based model, Lindsey empowers clients to cultivate inner confidence, refine communication skills, and foster self-determination.
Her practice is trauma-informed and emphasizes harm reduction, promoting insight and authentic self-discovery within a supportive environment. Lindsey embraces a client-centered and collaborative approach, honoring each client’s expertise in their own life journey with the goal of empowering individuals to create fulfilling, meaningful lives. In her free time, Lindsey enjoys trips to Jeni’s ice cream and attending concerts.
Aaliya Shaikh, MS, earned her Master of Science in Nutrition Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Specializing in anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, ARFID and other eating disorders, Aaliya assists clients in developing a healthier relationship with food and their bodies.
Through a personalized approach, she creates tailored meal plans, provides nutritional counseling, and works collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to ensure comprehensive care. Her passion for nutrition and mental health, combined with a deep desire to help individuals navigate their struggles with food and body image, inspired her to become an Eating Disorder Dietitian.
Prior to joining SpringSource, she spent several years at a large treatment center helping individuals overcome disordered eating by offering compassionate and personalized nutritional care aimed at lasting recovery. Aaliya is driven by the opportunity to make a positive impact in people’s lives by offering evidence-based care with each clients’ unique needs in mind.
Nancy Monroe, PMHNP-BC, APRN, received her Bachelor’s in nursing at North Park University and her Master’s in clinical psychology from Wheaton University. After years of experience at the staff level and in management and administrative roles, she went back to school at Rush University to complete a Master’s in nursing science. She is board-certified as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and has been granted full-practice authority by the state of Illinois to provide psychiatric care.
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Nancy has worked across the continuum of mental health care including inpatient, hospital consultations, partial-hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, and outpatient treatment. She has worked with individuals with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, attentional disorders, thought disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.
When working with clients to clarify psychiatric diagnoses and select appropriate medications for management, Nancy’s style is highly collaborative. She assists clients to identify symptoms that are most problematic and thoroughly reviews the risks, benefits, and alternatives related to potential medication options to address them. She is also committed to collaborating with other members of clients’ care teams.
Fundamentally, after a lifetime of experiencing the joys and sorrows of her own life, Nancy believes that struggles with mood or behaviors should not be viewed as problems but as opportunities to explore one’s deeper needs and authentic self. She considers it a privilege to facilitate clients’ progress along this path.
Lexi Pettengill, LSW, is a licensed social worker in Illinois. She graduated from Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois in Chicago with a master’s degree in social work.
Lexi has extensive experience working with mood and anxiety disorders with adolescents, adults, families, and groups in a variety of therapeutic settings, including residential hospitalization, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs. In addition, Lexi specializes in working with individuals, families, and chosen families experiencing eating disorders, navigating body image work and self-acceptance, navigating gender-affirming care, support with emotional and physical trauma, and mood and emotional regulation diagnoses, including neurodivergent identities.
Lexi is a fat-positive, genderqueer practitioner who is passionate about helping people process trauma resulting from fatphobia, oppression, and size discrimination. She balances a HAES perspective with various modalities of therapy based on the needs of the client, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic processing.
Lexi believes that holding a safe space for folks to grieve, heal, and grow is the foundation of a successful therapeutic alliance. She is dedicated to a person-first perspective and hopes to help gently guide folks on their journey toward mind and body liberation.
More From SpringSource Founders Dr. McClanahan and Dr. Derrick:
Both of us find literature and poetry to be a source of inspiration and hope. Experiencing this stream of creativity has enhanced our lives personally and professionally. For the name of our psychological center, we turned to one of our favorites, the 13th-century Persian scholar and poet Rumi. This stanza from his poem “Spring” offers an enduring message of hope and renewal that inspires our daily work with clients:
“Again, the season of spring has come and a spring-source rises under everything, a moon sliding from the shadows.”
~Rumi
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Serving Cook County, IL and the following cities: Chicago, Elgin, Cicero, Schaumburg, Evanston, Northbrook, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plaines, Orland Park, Glenview
