meet our team

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Illeanna is a fourth-year doctoral student at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She earned her bachelor's degree in Public Health Science from the University of California, Irvine. Before beginning her PsyD studies, she worked as a medical assistant at a substance abuse treatment center and volunteered at Crisis Text Line, a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention and mental health support for at-risk individuals. Motivated by a desire to give back to communities similar to where she grew up, she has also served as a mentor and tutor to at-risk youth in low-income areas of Los Angeles. Illeanna is inspired to continue giving back to her community and assisting others in transforming their pain into power. When she is not studying, she enjoys going to the beach, exploring new coffee shops, and thrift shopping!

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Melia was motivated to join the field of psychology following the profound impact of her own therapeutic journey. Through working with others she found support and guidance during crucial moments. She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a MA in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, Malibu. She is currently a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical PsyD program at The Chicago School in Los Angeles. She has provided services in a number of settings such as community mental health, transitional housing and PHP/IOP for adults and adolescents.

Melia believes that self-awareness, fostered through therapy or assessment, holds the key to navigating life. Uncovering and highlighting the strengths and unique qualities of her clients brings her immense joy. As a perpetual learner committed to personal growth, her journey as a human being fuels her evolution as a clinician.

As an ADHDer herself, Melia understands how hard it can be to navigate systems that were not designed for her. She strives to provide an affirming experience for her clients throughout the assessment process.

Outside of work and school you can find her walking to her local coffee shop, playing with her dog Honey or exploring new places with friends. She loves reading and podcasts and is always looking for recommendations!

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Yoga Instructor

Sophia is a fourth-year doctoral student in the APA-accredited Clinical Psychology program at The Chicago School. They earned their bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Cincinnati and their master’s in Counseling Psychology with a Health Psychology concentration from The Chicago School. In addition to her formal education, Sophia is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and loves working with our clients experiencing ARFID and other eating concerns. She has clinical experience working in residential, community mental health, private practice, and medical settings providing affirming therapeutic and assessment services to the LGBTQ+ community, children and adolescents, and those living with chronic medical conditions. Sophia also leads our virtual yoga classes for neurodivergent nervous system maintenance!

As a neurodivergent, chronically ill, second-generation queer person, Sophia has a special passion for working with our LGBTQ+ and chronically ill clients. Their work is rooted in the intricate connection between the mind and the body, often drawing from their knowledge of the complexities of the neurodivergent nervous system and autistic burnout, their experience as a yoga teacher and lifelong student of yoga, and their frequent deep-dives into social justice somatics. Sophia loves helping clients find new ways to accommodate themselves, combat internalized ableism, and access rest and recovery so that they can better engage with what truly matters to them.

When she’s not searching for helpful resources for her clients or teaching our yoga workshops, Sophia enjoys sitting in any sunny patch of grass she can find, songwriting, spending time with her pets and partner, and attempting (not very successfully) to learn to surf. Her heart has an eternal soft spot for Animal Crossing, The Sims, Survivor, and oddball ocean creatures (particularly, the ocean sunfish).

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Sophia is a queer, AuDHD, chronically ill, and disabled fourth-year doctoral student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology- Los Angeles with an emphasis in health psychology. Her studies and clinical approach are rooted in disability justice, somatics, and neuroaffirmative, trauma-informed care. She is passionate about exploring the mind-body connection, the role of the nervous system in physical/mental health, and rhythmic movement as a means of coping and self-expression.

Her health psychology background focuses on EDS, dysautonmia/POTS, MCAS, chronic pain, autoimmune conditions, endocrine conditions, and functional disorders, particularly in neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC communities. As a late-diagnosed AuDHD person with EDS, POTS, and MCAS, Sophia understands the grief, rage, resentment, exhaustion, and trauma that comes with chronic illness, neurodivergence, and not being believed. She takes an empathetic, collaborative, and flexible approach with the aim of gaining a deep understanding of her client's lived experiences and exploring ways to better meet their needs.

Sophia’s therapeutic style has been described as warm, genuine, empathetic, and nonjudgmental. She utilizes a neuroaffirmative, trauma-informed approach, pulling from different therapies such as existential-humanistic, relational-cultural, and somatic psychotherapy to help her clients reach their therapeutic goals. Sophia strives to create a safe space for her clients to unmask and is honored to witness the process as her clients gain a sense of empowerment in embracing their authentic self.

Sophia is passionate about disability justice advocacy; she engages in research that focuses on the mental/physical impact of ableism on neurodivergent, disabled, and chronically ill folks, especially those with multiply-marginalized identities within LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. She hopes to ignite conversations that address the systemic inequities faced by these communities to help bring about meaningful change and work to cultivate more inclusive environments. In her free time, Sophia loves to explore movement, binge watch true crime and anime shows, sing, draw, and spend time with her pets.

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Lynsi is a fourth year doctoral student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She just recently earned her masters at The Chicago School in clinical psychology and earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Lynsi moved across the country two years ago to pursue her doctorate in the vibrant city of Los Angeles because she has a passion for understanding the complexities of the human mind and helping others unlock their true potential. LA has offered her an array of opportunities to delve into diverse communities, cultures, and perspectives, providing her with a rich opportunity of experiences to enhance her growth and learning.

She has had a passion for working within the neurodivergent community ever since she worked with Early Autism Services as a behavioral therapist with young children. She has found working with autistic children to be such a rewarding experience that she continues to dedicate herself to this community. Her deep-rooted desire to make a lasting impact and foster positive change within the neurodivergent community drives her persistent journey to create a more compassionate and inclusive world for all individuals, where their unique strengths and perspectives are celebrated and embraced. She approaches her clinical work with warmth, love, and an open mind, embodying empathy and compassion in every interaction.

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JJ is a fourth year clinical psychology doctoral student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Bethel University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Additionally, he completed a Master's degree from Columbia University in Clinical and Education Psychology with an emphasis on Spirit Mind-Body medicine.

In addition to his clinical work, JJ's research interests fall in the arena of gender identity and gender alignment and its related social correlates, the impact of spirituality on psychological wellbeing, and more recently, electroencephalography and its clinical utility in the identification and management of ADHD. JJ identifies as gay cisgendered male with ADHD, thus, he has a particular interest in working with the neurodivergent gender and sexual minority population.

In JJ's free time, he provides social media and psycho-education support, in addition to LGBTQ advocacy to local organizations including The Los Angeles Museum of Love and OMID Multicultural Institute for Development. When not scrolling on TikTok for the latest 4-1-1 on the world, JJ impulsively purchases books from amazon, gets mani/pedis with his friends, and/or is traveling back and forth from Minnesota or New York visiting friends and family. Following graduation, JJ hopes to eventually establish a holistic and accessible retreat center providing psychological services in addition to alternative medicinal and intervention approaches to aid in one's self-concept, actualization and thriving.

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Sabrina is a third-year Clinical Psychology doctoral student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles. Her interest into the world of Psychology began in her senior year of high school while taking an elective course on a whim. She was influenced to further her interest, where she volunteered at an elementary school with autistic children before graduating. She was a classroom aid/assistant for a first grade class where she helped to facilitate an environment in which autistic children had the ability to flourish. Upon graduation, she went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University Channel Islands.

Before beginning her PsyD studies and in motivation to give back to her community, Sabrina volunteered as a Sexual/Domestic Assault advocate where she aided survivors by answering hotline calls and provided accompaniment for them during medical examinations and interviews. She viewed working with autistic children to be such an impactful and lasting experience, she went back to the same elementary school where she originally volunteered to continue to provide a nurturing environment to the youth. Sabrina has plans to begin working at a community mental health inpatient crisis center with at-risk youth. She has a current special interest in the exploration on the relationship of disordered eating and obsessive compulsive behaviors in adolescents.

In Sabrina’s free time, she loves to spend time exploring new and trendy spots in LA with her friends, shopping, picnic and sunset dates with friends, and hanging with her family (her dog included of course).

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Britney is a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Merced, earning a bachelor's degree in Psychology, complemented by a minor in Writing. Britney's fascination with the human mind has been the driving force behind her passion for psychology.

Britney became drawn to Neuron and Rose due to its neurodiversity affirming framework. She has gained valuable experience working with neurodivergent children across numerous settings, including schools, clinics, communities, and homes. Britney's clinical interests primarily revolve around psychological assessments and testing. She particularly enjoys working with Autistic and ADHD populations across all age groups. In addition to her contributions at Neuron and Rose, Britney provides services to adolescents facing depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges within a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program in Santa Clarita.

As Britney works toward her doctoral degree, her ultimate goal is to establish a private practice of her own. Through this endeavor, she intends to provide support and guidance to individuals, empowering them to reach their full potential.

During her free time, Britney enjoys baking, going to Dodger games, and unwinding at the beach.

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Addie is a 5th-year Clinical PsyD doctoral student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles. She recently received her Master's in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School in 2022. Addie has worked in a diverse clinical setting with young children, adolescents, families, and adults who experience mental health struggles and neurodivergence. Addie is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and wants to work with Deaf clients to provide accessible mental health services to this underserved community in their native language (in addition to providing services for hearing folks in English).

Addie has always been interested in how the human brain works and human relationships. Sometimes it can be difficult to engage with people who do not think the same way as you do, and that can be frustrating. Everybody is so different and unique and we all go through life differently than others around us. Addie cares to help you learn how to be the most successful with how you navigate through your own life and the world around you.

In Addie's free time, she enjoys going to Disneyland, playing with her kitten, Zozo, and spending quality time with friends and family. Addie enjoys hanging up hammocks at the park and relaxing while playing the ukulele or journaling. After graduating, Addie dreams of opening a therapy practice where she can provide therapy in ASL and employ other therapists who can meet the needs of other underserved communities in their native languages.

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Meet Jonnie-Rose, who embraces all pronouns and is dedicated to offering compassionate, personalized care to people from all walks of life. Jonnie enjoys offering conscious compassionate personalized care to people from all walks of life. With a warm, creative, and slightly humorous approach, they tailor their practice to each person's unique healing journey, ensuring a supportive and mindful environment.

Currently pursuing their doctorate in clinical psychology, Jonnie brings over six years of deep experience in high-level collaborative care settings. They enjoy integrating various therapeutic approaches, like psychodynamic, CBT, DBT, and expressive arts to address hard to navigate life areas such as neurodivergency, PTSD, existential crises, and addiction recovery. Jonnie is dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+, Education, Fine Arts, Entertainment, and many other existing communities. They are enthusiastic about advancing global research on developmental, neurological, medical, and environmental concerns. They also offer pro bono mental health support and are skilled at navigating the unique dynamics of high-profile cases. Jonnie is all about creating a welcoming and inclusive safe space for everyone.

In their downtime, Jonnie enjoys therapeutic arts, movement, nature, and spending time with their loved ones and animal companions. They are devoted to helping others achieve their dreams while pursuing their own professional/personal goals and continuous self-development. With Jonnie, you can find a nurturing and diverse approach to your healing journey.

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Camille is a third year doctoral student at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Prior to graduate school, she received her Bachelors of Science in Cognitive Science with a minor in Philosophy from UCLA. She was drawn to Neuron and Rose's neurodiversity affirming practices due to the emphasis on truly understanding and accepting diverse neurotypes.

With a passion for fostering inclusivity, her goal is to create a safe and supportive space for individuals of all neurotypes to explore who they truly are. She is committed to a lifelong process of learning and applying the principles that align with Neuron and Rose's philosophy. Outside of her work, she enjoys distance running, quiet spaces, and spending time with other people!

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Pearl is a fourth year Clinical Psychology doctoral student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Pearl earned a Master’s degree from Pepperdine University in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. Additionally, she received her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School.

Pearl has worked in various clinical settings, including working at community mental health agencies with children, older adults, and their families and at a medical center providing assessment and therapeutic services to neurodivergent and chronic illness communities. Pearl also has experience working in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, assisting individuals in crisis. Her work experience thus far has instilled in her the desire to give back to the community and work with a diverse population.

Pearl was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. She moved across the world ten years ago to pursue her higher education in the United States. She is passionate about understanding the complexities of the human brain and mind and helping others improve their quality of life and well-being. Outside of work and school, Pearl enjoys doing arts and crafts, hiking with friends, and traveling around the world.

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Kate is a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School in Los Angeles. She completed her undergraduate studies at Pace University in New York City, earning a bachelor’s degree in Arts & Entertainment Management and a minor in Psychology. She recently received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School in May 2024.

Kate has facilitated psychoeducational groups for adults with acute and chronic mental illness at a psychiatric hospital. She has administered comprehensive psychological assessments and generated written reports with recommendations for college students seeking academic accommodations.

Kate has a strong background in community education. She has been a camp counselor and facilitated workshops on confidence and safe social media use with middle school girls. Her commitment to education is further demonstrated through her tutoring role with School on Wheels.

Kate’s approach to working with clients is to build trust with empathy and an open, nonjudgmental mind. Kate firmly believes that the client is the expert on their experience. She is passionate about providing holistic and effective mental health care.

During her free time, Kate enjoys being active by roller skating, yoga, kickboxing, and gymnastics! She also enjoys expressing herself through painting with watercolors and baking vegan treats. Her favorite way to end a day is by watching a movie!

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 Vidur is currently a fourth-year doctoral student at The Chicago School in Los Angeles. Early clinical experiences with neurodivergent teens propelled Vidur to explore and realize his own AuDHD identity, uncovering a special interest of neurodivergence in the process! Vidur is excited to cultivate this passion at Neuron & Rose and help clients on their journey towards understanding and supporting their authentic selves. He believes that individuals often hold the wisdom and answers they’re looking for but may overlook these internal signals, to meet external expectations from others or the environment around us. By deepening our connection to ourselves and what matters to us, we can build a life that is meaningful and responsive to our individual needs.

Vidur works to create a therapeutic space built on trust, comfort, and genuine expression, where clients can explore all facets of their lived experience without judgment. Believing that we’re always doing the best that we can, Vidur seeks to highlight each client’s strengths and resilience that has led them to this moment, helping them feel empowered to step into their unique and authentic voice.

Outside of work and school, Vidur enjoys being in nature, playing with his dog Dashi, and deep tissue massages. While his active special interests are in constant flux, he is especially devoted to candles, squishies, and Jeni’s ice cream. 

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Himani is a current 3rd year student in the Clinical Psychology program at The Chicago School. Himani completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a major in neuroscience and a minor in fine arts. Himani recently received her master’s in arts degree in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School.

 Himani has always been fascinated with the human experience and the mind. Her fascination with the complexity of the brain and the diverse avenues within the field of psychology led her to pursue a doctorate in the subject. Other relevant interests include art therapy, dream analysis, and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Himani is also motivated to support the LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent community. She was drawn to working with the neurodivergent community at Neuron and Rose and her primary clinical interests include testing and assessments. Himani is also committed to continue learning about and growing under Neuron and Rose’s affirming evaluation process

Himani also participates in various activities outside of her studies including creating and selling her artwork with various mediums, dancing, and fashion. In her free time, she likes to unwind with social media and photo editing.