Karen Lakis

Counselor

MS - Master in Mental Health
NCC - National Certified Counselor
LCPC - Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (IL)
CDAC - Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor

Karen Lakis joined HOPE in March of 2019. She is a Licensed 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 the families, groups, and crisis. 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 has the capacity to initial changes in their life in order to help them cope with their struggles. Her strengths include being able to build a therapeutic bond with clients and identify their strengths in order to initiate change in their lives. She understands the necessity of meeting the client’s needs with different therapeutic approaches.