Karen Lakis joined HOPE in March of 2019. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois, a National Certified Counselor, and a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Karen received a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in human development, from DePaul University in Chicago and a master’s in mental health counseling from Capella University.

She comes from a background of working in a residential facility for adolescents that focused on substance use and mental health disorders. She has experience in working with families, groups, and crisis intervention. Karen completed an internship for her schooling which included working with adults in a residential facility and children in an outpatient setting.

She has training in different therapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Reality Therapy. She understands that everyone can initiate changes in their life to help them cope with their struggles.

Strengths include building a therapeutic bond with clients and identifying them to initiate change in their lives. She understands the necessity of meeting the client’s needs with different therapeutic approaches.