Ms. Grais Meyer is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, The Academy of Certified Social Workers, The Mediation Council of Illinois, and The Academy of Family Mediators. She is on the Board of Dirctors of The Lilac Tree, a resource for women going through divorce.  Ms. Grais Meyer enjoys working with children, adolescents, adults and families with a variety of family and personal difficulties.

Dr. Michael Greenbaum, M.D. is a Board Certified Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist who has been practicing in Lake County since 1993.  Dr. Greenbaum attended medical school and completed his psychiatric residency at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago.  He trained in Child Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.  Dr. Greenbaum then returned to the Chicago area to practice child and adolescent psychiatry. 

Dr. Greenbaum specializes in working with children and adolescents.  He consults to several schools, and is the medical director at Connections Day School and South Campus School.  In addition to his outpatient psychiatric practice, Dr. Greenbaum is involved in psychiatric clinical trials of medications at Capstone Clinical Research in Libertyville, IL.  As a result of his research, he co-authored an article on Zoloft for a peer-reviewed journal.

Alan J. Heigert, M.S., L.C.P.C. holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois.  He has worked with a wide range of clinical and professional issues since completing graduate school in 1972.  He has also completed the Family Institute of Chicago two-year certification program in marriage and family counseling.  Throughout his career, he has worked successfully with couples, families, and youth utilizing many treatment strategies. 

Mr. Heigert is well-known throughout Lake County for his service to the juvenile justice system and to the adult domestic violence and family courts.  He provides evaluations for the court system for both juveniles and adults.  He also is a member of the Lake County evaluators providing custody evaluations to the Lake County court system.  He has also consults with businesses and responds to acute crisis intervention needs.  Mr. Heigert continues to provide individual, couples, and family counseling.  Mr. Heigert’s commitment is to consistently and compassionately promote personality integration, effective communication, and nurturing relationships in whatever he does.

Patti Heigert, L.S.W., graduated from the Jane Addams School of Social Work, University of Illinois, Chicago, in 1984, with a specialization in school social work.  She has been licensed by the state of Illinois since 1985 and has worked as an Adoption Specialist, Youth Counselor, and for the past 14 years as a School Social Worker in a Pre-K through 8th grade school system.  Mrs. Heigert enjoys working with children, adolescents and their families.  She helps teenagers and adults succeed through the life cycle.  Mrs. Heigert also conducts group therapy for adolescent girls dealing with social-emotional issues during their junior high years.  Mrs. Heigert is particularly interested in women's issues throughout the lifespan, to empower women of all ages to live life to their full potential and support their growth and self-awareness. 

Mrs. Heigert focuses holistically on the entire individual's wellness, including body, mind, and spirit.  Due to her interest in understanding the importance of eliciting the relaxation response to aid in one's total wellness, she recently completed clinical training at the Henry Benson Institute at Harvard's Medical School.  Mrs. Heigert has applied her interest in a variety of ways while working with individuals, families, or groups.  In the school system she works with a diverse population of children, adolescents and their families to enhance student potential in regards to social, emotional, educational, family, and special needs.  She has led a variety of groups for children and adolescents that have dealt with topics such as grief, divorce, friendship, self-concept, and learning differences.
She has also facilitated various parenting support groups over the years.  At all times she strives to actively support the parenting process as she seeks to help strengthen the family's functioning.

MaryPat Henders, L.C.P.C., MAAT earned her Masters Degree in Art Therapy from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2002.  She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.  Ms. Henders specializes in working with children, adolescents, families and adults.  Ms. Henders also consults to Connections Day School.  She has an extensive background in treating children who have witnessed domestic violence.  She specializes in work with children and adolescents with depression, anxiety, anger management, social skills issues, ADHD and who have experienced trauma and abuse.

Ms. Henders is bilingual in Spanish and has worked with clients of all ages and cultural backgrounds.  She encourages families to become involved in their child’s treatment while also providing a safe space for the child.  She encourages a reciprocal therapeutic relationship with her clients in that they can equally give her feedback about progress and the focus of sessions.  Ms. Henders conducts individual, family, sibling, couples, and group therapy sessions.  Ms. Henders uses cognitive behavioral, behavioral, and family systems theory in treatment.  She also employs verbal, art, and narrative therapy techniques in her practice. 

Betty Lindquist M.B.A. is the Practice Administrator of Counseling Connections and one of the founders of Connections Day School, South Campus, and New Connections Academy.  She began her career as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Lake County and formed Counseling Connections in 1983.  Ms. Lindquist was responsible for the development of a custody and visitation program for Lake County Family Court to assist families resolve those issues with professional support.  Currently she is responsible for the administration of Counseling Connections and their three schools serving over 240 students with emotional and behavioral issues.  Ms. Lindquist was also appointed to chair a taskforce to address issues of truancy in Lake County by the Lake County Juvenile Justice Counsel by Michael Waller.

Nicole N. Lis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who joined Counseling Connections in October of 2006.  She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northern Illinois University, which she earned in 1998.  She later attended Loyola University Chicago, where she earned a Master of Social Work in 2003.  Within the same year, Nicole also co-authored a Praxis journal article on students with disabilities in higher education.

Nicole’s career has included a variety of experiences within the mental health profession.  She began working on the child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit as well as adult units at Forest Hospital in Des Plaines, followed by a position in the facility’s therapeutic day school.  She has also worked in a Substance Abuse program for male adolescents at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines.  The majority of Nicole’s career has been spent counseling within schools, spending the most recent years providing therapy for students at Cyd Lash Academy, an alternative high school serving adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties.  Nicole’s therapeutic interests lie in working with children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and working with relationship and family conflict issues.  Ms. Lis also enjoys working with stress and anger management issues of children and adolescents and working with those with a history of abuse and trauma.  She enjoys and has a great deal of experience working with children and adolescents with various emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Deborah Mabin, L.C.P.C., is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.  Ms. Mabin received her Bachelor’s of Science and Masters of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University.  Ms. Mabin has worked in the counseling field for over 10 years.  Ms. Mabin has experience working with children of all ages and their families.

Ms. Mabin provides individual, group, family and couples counseling with various age populations.  She is experienced in crisis intervention and formally trained in personality and intellectual testing/assessment.  Prior to joining Counseling Connections, Ms. Mabin worked in school settings with children and adolescents.  She also has experience working in hospital and outpatient settings. 

Arlene Messner-Peters, L.C.S.W., is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years experience.  She is a graduate of National-Lewis University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Ms. Messner-Peters specializes in working with high conflict families, domestic violence offenders. teen dating violence and clients with post traumatic stress disorder.  She is trained in EMDR working with traumatized children and adults in combination with other therapeutic techniques.

Ms. Messner-Peters professional career has included a variety of experiences working in the juvenile and adult court system as a probation officer, mitigation specialist, domestic violence provider and custody evaluator for the Lake County Family Court.  Aside from her private practice, Ms. Messner-Peters has taught sociology of the family classes at the College of Lake County.  She has presented to various groups on a variety of topics including domestic violence, it’s effects on children, the effects of high conflict divorce, how to have healthy dating relationships, stress management, anger management, women’s issues and others. Ms. Messner-Peters is also a member of the Teen Dating Violence Committee.

Ms. Carolyn Nam, L.C.S.W. enjoys seeing her clients learn about themselves and utilize their inner strengths in order to heal and grow.  Working with both children and adults, Ms. Nam provides a warm, nurturing, and relaxed environment and uses a variety of methods including talk, play, and expressive therapies.  She feels especially rewarded working with children with attachment and adoption issues, grief and loss, developmental delays, and chronic and acute medical concerns.  Her professional experiences include working with children, adults, and families at a children’s hospital and through two foster care/adoption agencies.

Ms. Nam obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Northwestern University and a Masters Degree in clinical social work from the University of Chicago.  She continues to expand her knowledge about the profession in order to best serve her clients and regularly attends training seminars.  Ms. Nam primarily works with children, adolescents, and their families.  She especially enjoys working with younger children.  She has experience working with children with ADHD, depression, oppositional behaviors and developmental disorders.

Dr. Sol Rappaport, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and partner with Counseling Connections.  He has been in private practice for over 10 years and specializes in conducting psychological assessments for schools and the adult and juvenile court systems.  He is a trained mediator and conducts custody evaluations for the courts in Cook, Lake, and McHenry Counties.  Dr. Rappaport consults to several schools in Lake County; he provides psychological testing for schools as well as parents to determine if there are learning disabilities or emotional difficulties negatively impacting school performance.  Dr. Rappaport also conducts Risk Assessment evaluations for schools where students have made threats to harm others.  Dr. Rappaport conducts Fitness For Duty Evaluations for schools as well as police departments.

Dr. Rappaport has published a book on child sexual abuse as well as articles in professional journals and in a book.  He has conducted research on the impact of sexual abuse on children as well as problem solving skills in abused and nonabused children.    He has presented to professional groups (lawyers, psychologists, social workers) on a variety of topics including psychological testing, parental alienation, and various issues related to custody. 

Dr John Schuler, Psy.D. is a co-founder and partner of Counseling Connections. He has worked in the mental health field for over 35 years and has been a practicing Clinical Psychologist for the last 25 years. He works primarily with adults and couples with a wide range of emotional disorders and life stage conflicts. He specializes in supervising other health care professionals as well as working with executive stress issues, men’s issues, post traumatic stress and depression. His supportive ‘Narrative’ approach is a nonpathologizing, strength based and collaborative approach. 

Dr. Schuler has co-founded 3 therapeutic day schools for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties.  He supervises the clinical staff and has assisted in the program development of Connections’ Day School South Campus and New Connections Academy.  Dr. Schuler has presented to various groups on using Narrative Therapy.

Dr. Shazia Tayyab, M.D. is a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist.  She completed her Child and Adolescent Fellowship at Children’s Memorial Hospital where she was the Chief Resident.  Dr. Tayyab is Board Certified in General Psychiatry and Board Certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Her out patient practice specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents for a variety of psychiatric concerns.

Dr. Tayyabs' areas of interest include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders, Bipolar Disorder and other Mood, Anxiety Disorders, and Asperger's and other Pervasive Development Disorders.  Dr. Tayyab regularly consults to schools and sees clients both in the Libertyville and Vernon Hills offices.

Jennifer M. Underwood, M.S.W., L.S.W., earned her Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan.  Prior to graduate school, Ms. Underwood attended Kenyon College, where she studied English and Psychology.  Ms. Underwood has worked in a variety of educational and healthcare settings, including hospices, schools, and outpatient mental health centers. 

Ms. Underwood develops warm, attentive, and respectful relationships with children, teens, adults, and their family members. She strives to support and empower parents and other caregivers.  During sessions, Ms. Underwood adopts a creative, playful approach to therapy, which helps children to feel accepted, understood, and safe.  She collaborates with families to design sensitive treatments that integrate cognitive-behavioral strategies, play therapy, attachment theory, narrative theory, and a family systems approach.  As a Certified School Social Worker, Ms. Underwood also counsels students at New Connections Academy.  Her professional affiliations include the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Association for Play Therapy, and Illinois Association for Gifted Children.